Press Release - Invite Schools to Join “Sharks We Care” - No Shark Fin for School Events

The amount of sharks is greatly reduced because of dining and over catching. Various kinds of ecological problems are as a result generated. Last Tuesday (27 Apr), the state of Hawaii in the United States passed an Act to stop the sale and storage of shark fin. However, countries and cities having a key share of the trade of shark fin, including Hong Kong, still turn a blind eye on the need of the conservation of sharks and neglect the problem of over catching.

We, Green Sense, urge the government immediately restrict and reduce the import, sale and storage of shark fin as the amount of sharks are not yet proven to be stable, and principles of humanity and sustainability are not yet included in the means of catching. Actions including imposing penalty tax on importers of sharks’ fin and promoting public education should be taken. For the long run, having a legislative ban on the sale of sharks’ fin or any other products made of sharks would better preserve the ecology.

It is because the government takes no action that citizens, as consumers, have to take actions ourselves – stop eating shark fin and safeguard our environment! We, Green Sense, invite all kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools in Hong Kong to join “Sharks We Care” campaign, promising no shark fin for all school events and parties. We would later announce the list of schools joining “Sharks We Care” campaign. Those “caring” schools would receive certificates and they could publish the logo signifying “caring school” on their websites, invitation letter for parties and their journals.

Nowadays, many parties are organized by schools every year, for example, parties for alumni, parents-teachers association, 5-year anniversaries and thankyou parties for teachers. Therefore, schools joining “Sharks We Care” would significantly help reduce the consumption of shark fin. We urge schools teach students preserving the nature by their own conduct – stop killing sharks themselves. More importantly, we hope that the education sector would as a result lead a new trend in the society. More and more people would be encouraged and we would together arouse a massive scale campaign for protecting sharks. The target of the “Sharks We Care” campaign is to have more than 200 school participants.

Mr. Wong Ka-wo, Chairman of the Hong Kong Federation of Restaurants & Related Trades (HKFORT), (also Chairman of Kampery Development Limited) is willing to answer questions of reporters through phone after the press conference.