This morning our legislative effort to phase out the deadly California driftnet fishery passed its first hurdle! Turtle Island Restoration Network was in Sacramento today to speak in favor of our sponsored bill, Senate Bill 11114, which Senator Ben Allen (D-Santa Monica) authored.

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Doug Karpa, Legal Program Director of Turtle Island speaking to the committee.

Doug Karpa and Ben Allen speaking on behalf of SB1114 Senate Bill 1114 to phase out driftnets successfully moved through the California Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Water with a 6-0 vote. We are now one step closer to stopping the needless killing of whales, sharks, sea turtles, and dolphins by these deadly mile-long nets.

We would like to thank each of you who have signed our petition, gathered postcards, called senators, and met with your representatives. In meetings with the aides to the Senators, they mentioned the numbers of calls and emails they had been getting, which was wonderful to hear.

We are excited by this win, and will keep you updated on what you can do to help ensure this important bill moves through the next phases, and becomes law.