Among the artworks exhibited at Hilton Kuching.
KUCHING: Hilton Hotel Kuching has partnered with the Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Malaysia to raise awareness on sharks and stingrays for World Oceans Day this year.
The partnership, which saw a series of events and exhibitions at the hotel in the weeks leading up to World Oceans Day last Thursday, is also looking to achieve their multi-year sustainable seafood goals.
The initiative by WCS Malaysia and Hilton Kuching received support from school children who contributed their creative artwork.
Their artpieces had been reproduced into World Oceans Day commemorative bookmarks and distributed to the first 300 hotel guests since June 8.
“Preserving the environment is a core pillar of Hilton’s worldwide corporate responsibility strategy.
“Through our Travel with Purpose programme, our vision and values are brought to life by uniting our organisation around a set of global issues that connects our business to society, and activating our global footprint through local solutions,” Hilton Kuching general manager Hamish Watts said in a statement.
Students also contributed sharks and stingrays-themed short stories that were turned into an informational video to be played at the hotel’s lobby to entertain and create awareness to hotel guests and visitors until tomorrow.
Since the banning of shark fin globally in 2014, Hilton has become an industry leader to advocate the issue. Hilton was also the first to receive the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) chain-of-custody certifications in Europe and Asia.
Since then, the global chain has transitioned its seafood purchasing to sustainable and responsible sources.
“Hilton Kuching is committed to responsibly-sourced seafood by following the three main principles to protect endangered animals by banning the procurement of endangered species, source seafood from MSC-certified fisheries or Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certified farms and those from fisheries and farms working toward MSC and ASC certification,” Watts added.
Hilton Kuching has been an active supporter of wildlife and marine conservation and recently hosted cyclists for the WCS Malaysia’s Ride for the Wild (R4TW) 2017, an annual cycling event held in support of orang-utan and shark conservation.
“We are very pleased to work with Hilton Kuching through these activities. They have been supportive to our efforts in conserving the oceans, sharks, stingrays, skates and orang utans over the years.
“We will continue to have joint conservation activities in the coming years,” said WCS Malaysia director Dr Melvin Gumal.
WCS protects the environment and wildlife through scientific research and studies, education and awareness programmes as well as global conservation efforts. The organisation is also involved in the management of the world’s largest system of urban wildlife parks.
