Actor Eddie Peng speaks up for turtles in WildAid documentary, says it was a chance to learn about ‘these incredible animals’
- Taiwanese-Canadian Eddie Peng is using his celebrity power to highlight the effects of plastic pollution on the world’s endangered sea turtles
- China has launched a conservation initiative to combat the illegal trade in turtle parts and increase their numbers
The future of one of the oldest creatures on Earth is grim.
All seven species of sea turtle are classified as vulnerable or endangered because of habitat loss, ocean pollution and demand for their meat, eggs and shells. China has a part to play in ensuring their survival.
Seventy years ago, the Huidong Peninsula in China’s Guangdong province was home to about 500 nesting turtles, but as of 2012, only two were counted, conservation non-profit WildAid says. Five of the seven turtle species are found in the Paracel Islands in the South China Sea, control of which is disputed between mainland China, Vietnam and Taiwan. (China calls them the Xisha Islands, and Vietnam the Hoang Sa Islands.)
In 2018, China launched a conservation action plan to help raise turtle numbers, restore habitats and combat the illegal trade in their meat, eggs and shells. It also focused on boosting public awareness of the reptiles’ plight.
Celebrity power is being harnessed. Last year, actor Liu Ye and his wife, Anais Martane, joined WildAid campaigns, while this year, Taiwanese-Canadian actor Eddie Peng Yu-yen, star of films including Unbeatable, Rise of the Legend, Duckweed and Our Time Will Come, jumped on board.
The actor has joined forces with Chinese streaming service Youku and the China Sea Turtle Conservation Alliance to launch Between the Sea and Shore, a three-part documentary that explores the devastating impact plastic pollution, the catching of turtles in fishing nets, and the illegal trade in products made from their shells have on the sea turtle. It will be released on December 2.