WWF LAUNCHES CORAL TRIANGLE VIRTUAL PROPERTY SALES CAMPAIGN

Jakarta, Nov 3 (ANTARA) - The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has launched a new regional campaign that encourages individuals to buy virtual property across the Coral Triangle, the world`s center of marine life, said here on Thursday. "For as a little as USD 5 - the price of a cup of coffee or an afternoon meal - supporters can invest in the future of the Coral Triangle, a region facing serious challenges including overfishing and climate change," said the head of the WWF Coral Triangle Programme, Dr Lida Pet-Soede. The money raised will go towards WWF`s ongoing efforts to conserve the region`s spectacular environment in protected areas including Wakatobi (Southeast Sulawesi) and Semporna (East Coast of Sabah, Malaysia on the island of Borneo). 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. More than 120 million people also depend heavily on the region`s marine resources for food and income. "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 favorite restaurants comes from the Coral Triangle, as it is home to thousands of the world`s reef fish species," added Dr Pet-Soede. This is the first time for WWF to launch a campaign at the same time in four countries , namely Hong Kong, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Malaysia. "In this campaign, we have the target to reach 300 thousand spots in three years. The money raised will be used towards WWF`s ongoing efforts to conserve by educating people about the major role of the Coral Triangle," said Marketing Director of WWF Indonesia, Devy Suradji. Located in the heart of Asia Pacific`s rapidly expanding economies, the Coral Triangle is facing incredible pressure from the region`s growing financial clout. Increasing demand for food means that fishing boats are extracting tuna and reef fish out of the sea faster than the fish populations can replenish themselves, and many are caught using highly damaging practices. "The areas of Indonesia which include the Coral Triangle, have very fantastic biodiversity but they are highly vulnerable so that we have to protect," said actor and diver, Nicholas Saputra, who has diving experience in many areas of the Coral Triangle in Indonesia like Raja Ampat, Wakatobi, Komodo, and many more. The innovative online MyCoralTriangle campaign will make ample use of 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 just five dollars.