Over the past year, WWF-Hong Kong has made significant progress in our work to conserve wildlife and curb the illegal wildlife trade. Our initiatives span multiple countries, focusing on mitigating human-wildlife conflicts, deploying innovative technologies and fostering partnerships to protect endangered species. Meanwhile, our work to reduce humananimal conflicts, focusing specifically on tigers in Bhutan and elephants in Myanmar, achieved a number of wins this year through communitybased programmes. We also fought wildlife crime on multiple fronts, using AI-enabled solutions, collaborating with various organisations to enhance detection and prevention measures, and conducting research in several focus areas to better enable us to advocate for better substitutes on replacing threatened wildlife product usage and stricter controls to curb the illegal wildlife trade.
Enhancing regional efforts to mitigate human-wildlife conflicts
Since 2022, WWF-Hong Kong has been funding tiger and elephant conservation initiatives in Bhutan and Myanmar respectively. Both initiatives aim to reduce human-wildlife conflicts, which can result in property damage and in serious cases, loss of life.
In Bhutan, the initiative established a community-based livestock insurance scheme through the Gewog Tiger Conservation Tshogpa (GTCT) programme. This enables communities to benefit from improved human-tiger conflict (HTC) reporting and compensation payments. The project has also helped enhance livestock management practices to further reduce HTCs.
Meanwhile, our Myanmar office continued its community engagement efforts to encourage voluntary participation in the construction and maintenance of electric fences. Nineteen solar-powered electric light posts were also installed in Hngatpyawchaung village. There have been zero instances of elephant encroachment into the village since the installation.
WWF-Myanmar
Local children in Thabauang Township, Myanmar attending a class about wild elephants
Emmanuel Rondeau / WWF-UK
Government rangers in Bhutan’s Jigme Singye Wangchuck National Park study camera trap photos of tigers in the area
Innovation and partnerships help fight wildlife crime across Asia
WWF-Hong Kong leads the WWF Asia Pacific Counter-Illegal Wildlife Trade Hub, spearheading innovative public-private partnerships that drive cutting-edge solutions to combat wildlife trafficking across the region. This year, we led several initiatives that demonstrate our commitment to fighting the illegal wildlife trade and protecting biodiversity through technological innovations and strategic partnerships.
In collaboration with KPMG, we organised a workshop on AI-enabled solutions to fight wildlife crime, partnering with IFAW, WWF-China, ATOS, and UNU Macau. The two-day event explored various AI applications relating to wildlife protection and law enforcement.
Our work is producing significant results in the maritime sector. Amendments to the International Maritime Organization’s Guidelines for the Prevention and Suppression of the Smuggling of Wildlife on Ships Engaged in International Maritime Traffic, and joint industry guidelines on illegal wildlife trafficking led by the World Shipping Council, strengthen anti-smuggling measures by providing specific, actionable steps for maritime industry stakeholders.
Our commitment extends to online markets too. A collaboration with AI Singapore and WWF Singapore uses AI and machine learning to track illegal wildlife listings online. We are also partnering with NCB and Swire Shipping to test AI-powered cargo screening solutions that detect illegal wildlife trading, and developing, with several partners, a machine learning system to predict and send out alerts on emerging zoonotic diseases.
WWF-Hong Kong
A WWF-Hong Kong representative speaking at the “AI for Combating Wildlife Crime” workshop in June 2024
Curbing the exotic pet trade in Hong Kong
In September 2023, WWF-Hong Kong and ADM Capital Foundation launched a campaign to raise concerns about the exotic pet trade in Hong Kong. Our joint public survey revealed a general lack of public awareness about regulations but a strong level of support for stricter controls to protect threatened species. We are urging the government to enhance trade regulations and promote more public awareness regarding exotic pets. Our recommendations include establishing a list of permitted or prohibited exotic pets in trade or ownership, improving supply chain traceability and introducing incentives for better trade practices.
Featuring various exotic animals, a promotional video has been launched to remind the general public that these animals are born for the wild, not for our homes
The trade of tokay geckos in Hong Kong: a threat to biodiversity and legal compliance
In January 2024, a WWF-Hong Kong study was published in the European Journal of Wildlife Research. Titled The Trade of Tokay Geckos (Gekko gecko) in Retail Pharmaceutical Outlets in Hong Kong, it revealed that traditional medicine outlets across Hong Kong were engaged in significant trading in dried tokay geckos. The study highlights a pressing environmental and conservation issue – that tokay geckos are among the most heavily-traded species internationally, and are primarily used in traditional Chinese medicines. The findings underscore the urgent need to protect these ecologically important reptiles and preserve Hong Kong’s biodiversity.
Tokay geckos are among the most heavily-traded species internationally, and are primarily used in Traditional Chinese Medicine
Promoting TCM substitutes for threatened species
In August 2024, we published a report called “Substitutability for CITES-Listed Species Products in Traditional Chinese Medicine” (TCM) that explores sustainable alternatives for threatened species products used in TCM. The report evaluates effective messages and strategies to promote these alternatives, aiming to fully replace specific CITES-listed species used in TCM practices.
Reviewing shipping companies’ No Shark Fin Carriage Policies
On World Maritime Day 2024, WWF-Hong Kong released a report evaluating the effectiveness of shipping bans on the shark fin trade. The study assessed adherence to the “No Shark Fin Carriage Policy” implemented by major shipping companies starting in 2010. Using mixed research methods, including consumer behaviour analysis and industry interviews, the study examined trade trends between 2012 and 2021, providing insights into the evolving shark fin market and enforcement strategies, and recommending measures to protect sharks and promote sustainability in the shipping industry.
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