WWF has launched a campaign that encourages individuals to buy virtual property across the Coral Triangle.
The online MyCoralTriangle campaign will use social media, a series of print advertisements, and a 30-second television commercial that will lead online audiences to www.panda.org/mycoraltriangle, where they can buy a “spot” in the Coral Triangle for US$5.
The money raised will go towards WWF’s ongoing efforts to conserve the region’s spectacular environment in protected areas including Wakatobi and Semporna.
The Coral Triangle encompasses Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, the Philippines, Solomon Islands, and Timor L'Este. It is home to six of the world’s seven species of marine turtles, and a place where whales, dolphins, dugongs, and the world’s largest fish, the whaleshark, live.
“The Coral Triangle is where a big portion of the world’s tuna supply comes from. From here, tuna finds its way to local markets and also on to your dinner table. It’s very likely that the seafood you enjoy at your favourite restaurants comes from the Coral Triangle, as it is home to thousands of the world’s reef fish species,” said Dr Lida Pet-Soede, Head of the WWF Coral Triangle Programme.
WWF says that the Coral Triangle is facing incredible pressure from the region’s growing financial clout. Increasing demands for food means that fishing boats are extracting tuna and reef fish out of the sea faster than populations can replenish themselves, and many are caught using highly damaging practices.
