Tell everyone you know to say no to shark fin

Recently, disturbing pictures of thousands of shark fins being dried on a rooftop in Kennedy Town have been circulating on the Internet. Taken in early January 2013, the photos paint a troubling picture of the state of shark conservation.

WWF has been advocating that the public "say no to shark fin" and we launched the No Shark fin Individual Pledge last year. So far more than 7,100 individuals and 147 corporate have pledged not to eat or consume shark fin products, while 114 restaurants and hotels have committed to provide Alternative Shark Free Menu, either providing alternatives for customers, or implementing a total ban on shark fin dishes . Yet, as the photos show, Hong Kong remains a key shark fin trading hub.

To help combat this problem and minimize local demand for shark products, we need your help: starting today, please ask everyone you know to pledge not to consume any shark fin products.

In order to strengthen worldwide trade regulation (e.g. CITES and ban on illegal trade) and the public's demand  on consuming sustainable products, WWF calls for the Hong Kong government to collect and release full trade statistics of shark fin including information on species, volumes and country of origins.  This type of scientific identification of random samples of shark fin, through DNA testing for example, is essential for developing verification purposes.

WWF and other environmental groups have launched a petition, We're urging the Hong Kong government to make a public policy of not to serving shark fin in official functions.

WWF is grateful for your continued support for our shark conservation work.

Let's hope it's a good year for Bluefin tuna

The annual "Japan One" Bluefin tuna bidding is held in Tokyo in early January every year. WWF welcomes the fact that for two consecutive years no Hong Kong restaurant group has  participated  the "Japan One" Bluefin tuna to promote the consumption of this widely overfished species in Hong Kong.

Since 2009, WWF has been campaigning for Hong Kong restaurants to stop promoting and serving Bluefin tuna altogether because of the plight this species is facing—of the three Bluefin tuna species, the Atlantic and Southern bluefin tuna are currently listed as "Endangered" and "Critically Endangered" respectively on the IUCN Red List, while overfishing is impacting the Pacific bluefin tuna. 

But all hope is not lost—with the right fishery measures, Bluefin tuna stocks can still recover. The increasing awareness of sustainable seafood around the world has also led to a market shift towards sustainably-produced tuna, such as the most recently MSC-certified tuna, Albacore tuna from Fiji.

Despite these early mitigation measures, it is important that as consumers, we support sustainable seafood and say no to Bluefin tuna. Be our supporters! Join  WWF on Facebook and / or pledge not to consume Bluefin tuna. Find out what you can do.

"Wing" big prizes at the Big Bird Race

WWF's annual Big Bird Race (BBR) will be held on 2 Feb 2013—World Wetland Day. Every year, avid bird watchers form teams and race across Hong Kong, finding birds and raising funds for the Mai Po Nature Reserve. You don't have to  be a  professional bird watcher to support the cause—simply donate $200 to the event and you will receive a $200 dining voucher from the Regal  Riverside Hotel.  Not only that, by guessing the correct number of birds spotted by the winning BBR team, you'll have the chance to win a Pentax camera! For details please click here.

Panda Shop CNY mega sale!

To celebrate Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day, the Panda shop is doing a combo sale for this festive season. Click here to find out more.

Be a responsible holiday shopper

When we're going on trip it's natural to want to buy souvenirs to take home with us, but please remember to not buy any souvenirs that may endanger wildlife or their habitats. Here are some crucial questions to ask yourself before you buy.

While you're on the  WWF Kids site, don't forget to take the Question-of-the-Month quiz, you could win the big prize!