Conservation in Action: A Rearing and Releasing Programme of Juvenile Horseshoe Crabs in Hong Kong Schools

Joe Cheung (Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong)

Tracy Lau (Ocean Park, Hong Kong)

S.G. Cheung and Paul Shin (City University of Hong Kong)

BackgroundOPCFHK has funded City University of Hong Kong on HSC artificial breeding projects since 2006

Educate the public on the importance of horseshoe crab conservation

Artificial bred HSCReared until suitable for release

Tagged with microchip

Released to its natural habitatHSC lives on its own

Regular monitoring by City University

Organizers

•Provide financial support to the rearing programme

•Coordinate the wild release event

•Programme promotion and recruitment

•Conduct seminars and workshops with participating schools (introduction and video sharing)

•Provide horseshoe crab juveniles

•Provide technical support to schools and to the whole project

•Conduct regular visits to schools

Objectives1. To raise general public awareness of the conservation importance of

Horseshoe Crabs and their habitat

2. To provide students with opportunities to understand the living conditions and behaviour of juvenile horseshoe crabs through observations and husbandry care

3. To instill students the proper attitudes in caring for animals

4. To help students’ transfer learning OPA programmes into actions.

Timeline

Oct 2009 Briefing session to all interested schools

Nov 2009 Selection of schools

Jan 2010 Training session

Feb 2010 Rearing started

Sept 2010 Video sharing session

April 2011 Wild release

Rearing in schools

Video sharing session (September 2010)

Video & written report (log book)

Survival rate

Sense of responsibility on promoting HSC conservation

Task allocation

Challenges

Reflections

Best three schools were awarded with Ocean Park admission tickets

10 schools to present videos which illustrate their rearing experience

Progress evaluation

Extra Activities•Laboratory Visit

•Natural Habitat Excursion

• Natural Habitat Restoration

Mudflat Cleanup (Habitat Restoration)

31 October 2010

Ha Pak Nai, Tuen Mun

Mudflat cleanup (Habitat Restoration)

31 October 2010

Ha Pak Nai, Tuen Mun

Lesson to the students

• Understand the threat of HSC (habitat disturbance)

• Enhance sense of belonging

• Enhance sense of responsibility

• We can really make a difference!

Wild Release

• Finale of the 14-month rearing programme

• About 100 students and teachers released 120 HSCs

• 21 representatives from 14 Media outlets, generated 32 Media coverage pieces

17 April 2011

Survival RateSchool

Total # of HSC received (after 1-week acclimation)

# of HSC survived by May 2010

# of HSC survived by April 2011

Survival rate (%)

Po Leung Kuk Laws Foundation College 50 26 13 26.00

HKTA Lee Heng Kwei Secondary School 55 17 0 0.00

St. Stephen's Girls' College 58 20 0 0.00

Stewards Pooi Tun Secondary School 50 49 25 50.00

Kowloon Tong School（Secondary Section） 75 33 2 2.67

St. Paul's Secondary School 75 55 27 36.00

Sing Yin Secondary School 70 39 1 1.43

SKH Bishop Baker Secondary School 49 39 7 14.29

Po Leung Kuk Tang Yuk Tien College 63 25 3 4.76

POH Chan Kai Memorial College 75 57 22 29.33

620 360 100 16.13

In the lab: 30-40%

In the wild: less than 0.01%

Evaluation survey

95% - should bear the responsibility on hsc conservation advocacy

80% - has talked to their families and friends on hsc conservation91% - avoid endangered animals consumption

Reflections from the students

‘Gained valuable knowledge on hsc’

‘Understood the importance of conservation’

‘Enhanced the sense of responsibility’

‘Proud to spread the conservation message to primary students’

‘It is not easy to raise up a child, it acquires lot of love and time’

‘Artificial breeding is important on this endangered species, but advocacy should be more important’

The most challenging moments

‘HSC’s essential living environment is complicated, hard to maintain’

‘It is hard to count the numbers of HSCs, when they all hid under the sand’

‘Careless mistakes which caused the death of HSC’

‘Very depressed to keep seeing them died’

Recommendation from students

‘Start with older HSCs’

‘Organize more workshops to exchange experience among participating schools’

‘Enhance promotion in the market where HSC is being sold’

‘More schools to join’

‘Keep the dead bodies of HSC for specimen production for education purposes’

Objectives1. To raise general public awareness of the conservation importance of

Horseshoe Crabs and their habitat

2. To provide students with opportunities to understand the living conditions and behaviour of juvenile horseshoe crabs through observations and husbandry care

3. To instill students the proper attitudes in caring for animals

4. To help students’ transfer learning OPA programmes into actions.

Evaluation

Objectives fulfilled

Recommendation

• Increase size of participant (10 20)

• Organize workshop for experience sharing among participating schools

• Provide older HSC (3-4 instar)

• Provide more frequent visit to schools

• Organize more field excursion and habitat restoration trips

Q&A

Thank You

Joe Cheung (Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong)

Tracy Lau (Ocean Park, Hong Kong)

S.G. Cheung and Paul Shin (City University of Hong Kong)