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
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
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