RWS also announced that it will not offer shark fin on the menus of banquets and restaurants throughout the resort. credit: WildAid

Singapore  (May 29, 2008 09:32 EST)Resorts World at Sentosa (RWS) today  launched a fund to sponsor research, education and conservation  efforts related to marine life, to further the marine conservation  cause. The RWS Marine Life Fund will dispatch up to S$100,000 each  year in 2008 and 2009; and up to S$1 million each year from 2010  when the Resort opens.
To encourage  and cultivate an interest for the oceans, besides researchers and  NGOs, the Fund is also open to schoolchildren. 25% of this Fund  will be set aside for kids working on school projects related to  marine conservation. There is no cap on the applied funding, and  projects could span anything from fieldwork to classroom models.  All applications will be assessed by a RWS committee which oversees  the Fund, and for applications for funding above $20,000, an independent  reviewer will be included in the assessment.
Reinforcing  this commitment to marine conservation and research, the Resort  also announced that shark fin will not be offered on the menus  of banquets and restaurants throughout the Resort. Instead, alternatives  to this traditional Asian delicacy, often served at celebratory  and wedding dinners, will be made available. RWS is taking this  step in the belief that the consumption of shark fin is currently  unsustainable due to the declining shark population and growing  demand for shark fin.
RWS’s Communications  Head Krist Boo, who oversees the project, said, “We hope to see  some good applications for the Marine Life Fund. What’s exciting for  us is that this fund is not reserved only for established conservation groups, but it has a pocket solely  devoted to kids. We hope it will encourage children to learn about  the ocean, and to love it. The online application process is easy  for all.”
She added, “As for shark  fin, we are taking it off the menu because being a landmark project  in Asia, we believe we can make a difference. There are communities  that have consumed shark meat and fins for generations and we respect  that. What we are advocating is an end to mass consumption  patterns that appear unsustainable for the shark population. We  are fortunate to have WildAid and ACRES, two well-respected conservation  groups, as partners in this cause.”
As  for totally eliminating shark fin from the resort, Boo does not  rule out exceptions. “In the private gaming rooms, if a high roller  asks for shark’s fin, we will serve it and that’s a business  decision.”
Mr Peter Knights, Executive  Director of WildAid, headquartered in San Francisco, said,  “Just as with action to stem global warming, it is vital that corporations  and the public take the lead, as government action is invariably  too little too late. By eating alternatives, consumers can help  to save sharks and protect our oceans and we applaud Resorts World at  Sentosa’s lead on this.”
Mr Louis  Ng, Executive Director of Singapore-based ACRES (Animal Concerns  Research and Education Society), said, “ACRES applauds RWS for  leaving shark fin soup off their menu and we urge the public to  support this progressive move. We certainly hope that other companies  and restaurants follow RWS’s example which will undoubtedly make  a difference for the world’s remaining sharks.”
The  new initiatives launched today are an extension of the Resort’s  conservation efforts. In 2006, RWS undertook the initiative to  relocate corals and other marine life around the northern coastlineaffected  by reclamation works that were carried out as part of the Resort’s  construction. To preserve a part of Singapore’s natural marine heritage,  the affected corals were moved to the Southern Islands, and are  now thriving in their new homes.
Source:  http://www.underwatertimes.com