Media

New study sheds light on the the dark side of Hong Kong’s most lucrative seafood trade

26 Jan 2018

 

Hong Kong is the major regional trade hub for live reef fish, a trade worth billions of HK dollars in value but much of which is unreported and unregulated; some of it is illegal. As practiced, the trade has serious consequences for declining fish populations, already-degraded reefs, food security and livelihoods in South East Asia as well as loss of revenue in the form of taxes and tariffs. It is also a trade mired in illegality, lack of transparency or oversight and unsustainable practices. There is a need for urgent government action to bring it under control.

The University of Hong Kong, the ADM Capital Foundation and The World Wide Fund for Nature in the Coral Triangle, have collaborated to publish a study covering almost 20 years of the Live Reef Fish Food Trade and the role that Hong Kong plays and could better play in its long term sustainability. The findings documented in the 375 page report, Going Going Gone: The Trade in Live Reef Fish, finds that popular reef fish, taken from wild populations, could be gone within a lifetime from our regional seas and restaurants if we don’t act now.

The findings were based on a combination of information sources, from international trade data (comparing imports and exports), undercover tracking of fish, fish sales and cargo vessels, satellite tracking of vessels, intelligence from source countries, and even direct observations of fish being loaded illegally at source.

You and your photographer are cordially invited to join us for the release of the key findings of this unprecedented study.

Details are as follows:
Date:  February 1, 2018 (Thursday)
Time:
11:00am   Media Reception
11:15am   Survey Results Highlights & Discussions
11:45pm   Media Q&A and photo-taking
Venue:   Room 6N-11, 6/F, Kadoorie Biological Sciences Building, the University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong (map)

Speakers:
(1) Professor Yvonne Sadovy
Professor, School of Biological Sciences and Swire Institute of Marine Science, the University of Hong Kong
(2) Mr. Stan Shea
Marine Programme Director, BLOOM Association Hong Kong & co-author of the research paper, Partner Choose Right Today
(3) Professor Daniel Pauly
University of British Columbia Killam Professor
Sea Around Us Project; Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries & Department of Zoology

*Presentation and discussion in English and Cantonese

For more information and media enquiries, please contact:
Ms. Sophie le Clue
ADM Capital Foundation
Email: slc@admcf.org
Tel: +852 2810 6559