Move to protect marine life
China pushes for more awareness in environmental issue
BEIJING: From campaigns to reject wildlife products, to the celebrated “retirement” of two belugas from an aquarium, Chinese society has been making positive efforts in protecting the world’s marine biodiversity.
World Wildlife Day 2019, which fell on March 3, aims to “raise awareness about the extraordinary diversity of marine life and the crucial importance of marine species to sustainable development”, according to UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres.
Chinese actor Eddie Peng joined WildAid, a non-profit organisation which focuses on reducing market demand for endangered species products, to call for more people in China to play their part in protecting the oceans and endangered sea turtles.
“Don’t be fooled by the beauty of hawksbill products because they all come from illegal and devastating trade,” said Peng in the campaign video.
“This natural beauty belongs in the ocean.”
He urged the Chinese public to reject illegal marine products such as tortoise shell even when they are disguised as travel souvenirs.
The huge declines of the sea turtle population in recent decades is among the consequences of habitat loss, bycatch, pollution as well as illegal trade in their eggs, meat and shells, said Steve Blake of WildAid in China.
“We all need to act fast to help reverse these alarming trends,” he said. “There are simple things we can all do such as reducing the amount of plastic we use and saying no to all illegal marine products, especially from sea turtles.”
Sea turtles are under second degree state-level protection, and Chinese law forbids any capture, trade, transport, possession and utilisation of endangered wildlife species.
In 2017, over 2,000 pieces of green sea turtle and tortoise products were confiscated in four southern regions of Guangxi, Guangdong, Hainan and Fujian.
With greater efforts in raising awareness and strengthening protection, the species could stand a better chance of surviving and recovering, according to Blake.
Regarding plastic pollution, another severe threat that sea turtles and all marine life are facing, the southernmost Chinese province of Hainan announced a total ban on single-use, non-degradable plastic last month, marking the first step of China’s wholesome effort to mitigate the environmental impacts of hazardous waste.
After 15 years living in captivity and performing at a Chinese aquarium, two belugas named “Little White” and “Little Grey” will embark on a journey to be released in the world’s first beluga sanctuary in Iceland.
The date of their departure will not be disclosed but it will certainly happen this spring, sources with Shanghai Chang Feng Ocean Park confirmed.
The two female belugas, aged 19, were captured from the Russian waters as young cubs and sold to China over a decade ago, according to the ocean park.