Creative thinking

It’s been a while since there has been a chance to update the blog, and over that time there was something of a discussion in the letters page of the South China Morning Post responding to Eric Bohm of WWF who lamented the death of one of the sharks. The discussion focused on the efficacy of the park and the rights of indigenous fishers. I think that Hong Kong can move forward from here in a positive way if we recognize the opportunities brought to us all by events such as the arrival of the sharks. Instead of scare stories in the press, the banning of water sports and angry confrontations, we could have had an illuminating and engaging TV documentary on Hong Kong’s celebrity sharks. It could have served as a celebration of the partial success of Hong Kong’s Marine Parks programme (now over 11 years old) and it would have started the process of education about sharks, the need for marine parks and wider conservation issues. The word ‘celebration’ is very appropriate here: whilst much needs to be done, we should also take opportunities to congratulate the government and NGOs like WWF on what has been achieved so far in marine conservation. The sharks could have served as a living focal point of issues that need airing and discussion, not just in the letters page of an English language newspaper, but in the wider public arena. It may be too late to grab this opportunity, but let's all try to take advantage of the next one that comes along.