National Geographic,Swire partner to promote marine conservation

The Swire Group Charitable Trust (“Swire Trust”) and National Geographic Creative Works are joining hands to launch the first website of its kind dedicated to Hong Kong’s marine ecosystem under the Oceans Tomorrow campaign, which sets out to feature Hong Kong’s rich marine resources including local mangroves, marine reserves and the marine ecosystem. The website will also present short films produced by the world-class National Geographic Creative Works that take viewers on a tour of the marine world to enhance their understanding of Hong Kong’s marine biodiversity and increase public awareness of marine conservation issues.

“Marine conservation is a topic we don’t encounter often as most people live in cities. It seems to be an issue we hardly engage in,” said Tina Chan, Group Head of Philanthropy at John Swire & Sons (H.K.) Limited.

“The short films produced by National Geographic present to the public the incredible world that lies beneath Hong Kong’s waves as an effort to bring everyone closer to the ocean. There will also be other upcoming events under Oceans Tomorrow following the launch of the dedicated website and short films. For example, a photo camp will be held in April 2022 aiming to provide youngsters with an opportunity to capture the beauty of Hong Kong’s marine world through photography under the guidance of National Geographic Explorers.”

Stan Shea, National Geographic Explorer and Marine Programme Director at Bloom Association HK, is one of the interviewees in the short films. Through his participation in Oceans Tomorrow, he hopes to spread the message that marine conservation is not something beyond our reach. He pointed out that the average seafood consumption of Hong Kong people ranked second in Asia, with seafood imported from over 150 countries. Although it is a testament to how much we enjoy eating fish, most of us typically do not know which species they belong to. A recent survey revealed that around 17 endangered species, including the Hong Kong grouper and humphead wrasse, can be found in local wet markets.

Stan said, “An environmental organisation in Hong Kong has published a Seafood Guide, which defines seafood caught or raised in a sustainable manner as ‘green seafood’. It allows everyone to play a role in protecting marine resources by being a wise consumer and opting for ‘green seafood’ only.”

For details of Oceans Tomorrow, see: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/oceans-tomorrow/

Photo credit: Eric [email protected]°E Hong Kong Reef Fish Survey

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