You were instrumental in establishing Shark Savers here in South-East Asia. How did you get involved with the organization?
I’m a diving instructor, so this brought me in very close proximity to sharks. Through the years I noticed firsthand the falling shark population in this region and I was concerned.
I chanced upon a campaign that was run by Shark Savers and Wild Aid during the Beijing Olympics in 2008. I was very impressed by the quality of it and was moved, but at the same time I was curious as to why there weren’t any such activities in Asia.
Two years ago, I emailed the Shark Savers headquarters in New York and I said, “Hong Kong is where I am and this is where you should be, because this is where the global trade for shark fins is happening.” They replied, “To be in Hong Kong, we’ll have to be in Asia but we don’t have anyone based there. We don’t have any volunteers.” It seemed natural for me to put my hand up.
