WildAid Ambassador, Yao Ming has joined forces with Richard Branson and Virgin Unite, in a global campaign to save sharks.

Every year, the fins of up to 73 million sharks are harvested and sold, mostly for shark fin soup. In a cruel and wasteful practice called ‘finning’ sharks are caught and their fins are cut off. The rest of the shark can be thrown back into the sea, dead or dying. Around 95% of the shark is wasted. Increasing demand for shark fin is taking many species to the brink of extinction and threatening marine ecosystems the world over.

Yao and Richard will today launch the campaign with WildAid and Virgin Unite and meet with representatives of the media, NGO’s and business to engage their support to prevent the extinction of shark populations and even entire species, asking consumers all over the world to take a pledge at the WildAid website wildaid.org to stop eating shark fin soup.

By making your pledge you are directly helping to save sharks, committing to never again eat shark fin soup and highlighting how important your consumer choices are to global shark conservation.

Sign the shark pledge on the WildAid website and add your voice to the growing global movement to end the shark fin trade - go to wildaid.org.

Do not buy any food containing shark fin

Tell your friends and colleagues that they may be contributing to the irreversible decline of shark populations if they consume shark fin soup, encourage them not to eat shark fin.

Check to see if any local restaurants in your community serve shark fin soup and request that they take it off the menu

Tell your employer that the current rate of consumption is unsustainable and suggest that they serve delicious, healthy alternatives to shark fin soup at corporate affairs

If any of your friends and family are soon to be married, tell them about the delicious alternatives to shark fin soup that could play a comparable traditional role in their celebrations

Have a WildAid PSA viewing party to share information about sharks and shark conservation

Wildaid’s approach is all about winning hearts and minds to build a new constituency for wildlife conservation, bringing urgently needed support to prevent the extinction of wildlife species and devastation of natural habitats. It’s all about Conservation by Communication

Last year WildAid reached over 1 billion people in China with our high-impact messages, leveraging tens of millions of dollars of free media space to create what we believe is the world’s most cost effective communications campaign.

If you contribute $10 you can help us reach 1,000 people. $100 helps us reach 10,000 people. $1,000 helps us reach 100,000 people with our messages about shark conservation.

To make a donation please visit: wildaid.org