Richard Branson takes on China to save sharks

Shark fin soup is a popular dish in China. According to some, it was originally believed to provide virility. However the high levels of Mercury often found in sharks can have the opposite effect. Although sharks have existed for millions of years, today, the shark population is being decimated as they are hunted simply for their fins, with up to 200,000 a day used for shark fin soup alone. I know there are plenty of other types of soup that are just as tasty and not going to cause a species to become extinct!

You have to admire people who are successful in their field and also take time, energy and resources to support environmental and wildlife issues. Richard Branson, via his organisation Virgin Unite is campaigning to have shark fin soup banned in China and Hong Kong. Don't take my word for it. Check out his own blog: http://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/blog/save-our-sharks-in-shanghai.
To take action click here.

Whether you love or loathe a certain celebrity I believe it's fair to respect and support their work. Others to check out include:

Leonardo DiCaprio saving the tigers - http://www.leonardodicaprio.com/

Cate Blanchett is helping the Sydney Theatre Company become eco-friendly - http://www.good.is/post/how-cate-blanchett-created-one-of-the-world-s-greenest-arts-organizations/

Al Gore and Climate Change - http://www.algore.com/

James Cameron (creator of Avatar and Titanic) and the Canadian Tar Sands - see video below,/a>

Should we be scared of Sharks? Or should they be scared of us?

Richard Fitzpatrick is a researcher and film maker who we've worked with very closely on our Coral Sea campaign.

Richard has a new film premiering on the 18th on Discovery Channel (Mysteries of the Shark Coast), as part of Discovery's Shark Week (18th - 24th). The film tracks to lives of lots of different sharks in the Coral Sea like tiger sharks, grey sharks and white tip reef sharks. WWF are working with Discovery Channel on Shark Week to help educate people about sharks - they're incredible creatures and shouldn't be feared.

Click here to listen to the interview.