https://www.wwf.org.hk/oceans/.../code_of_conduct_for_clam_digging_activities/
Born in 1994, Kelvin So is the Manager of Oceans Conservation at WWF-Hong
Kong. He worked on the organisation’s environmental conservation
efforts in Shui Hau Village. His master’s thesis focused on clam-digging
in Shui Hau. He even collaborated with a local influencer to produce a
fun video promoting the use of WWF-Hong Kong’s clam gauge, a tool
designed to support sustainable harvesting. A self-described outgoing
person, Kelvin says the names of the three phases of the Shui Hau project
— “Sustainable Shui Hau”, “Shoring Up Shui Hau” and “Connecting Shui
Hau” — mirror how he gradually built relationships with the villagers. He
advocates community-based environmental conservation, which values
local residents’ participation and addresses their needs.
I joined the WWF-Hong Kong in August 2018. That October, WWF-Hong Kong launched the
“Sustainable Shui Hau” project to study the impact of clam-digging on the local ecosystem. To
understand the environmental carrying capacity of Shui Hau Wan, the first step was to find
out how many clams live on the mudflats, and how many were being dug up by visitors. It was
then I realised many local studies focused on the morphology, genetics and distribution of
clams, but no one had ever looked into what kinds of clams people were actually digging up.
At the time, I was writing my master’s thesis. I was particularly interested in how people behave in specific environments. There can be a gap between self-perception and actual behaviour. For instance, someone might consider themselves environmentally conscious, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they act in an eco-friendly way. [The impact of] clam-digging really depends on individual behaviour. For example, do visitors take the clams with them after digging? How long do they stay on the mudflats? So I decided to kill two birds with one stone: I started an ecological survey in Shui Hau and made clam-digging the focus of my thesis.
This baseline ecological study lasted for a year. From 2018 to 2019, I went to Shui Hau Wan every Saturday and Sunday and recruited a group of citizen scientists to help out. Together, we recorded more than 10,000 clams, and based on that data, we estimated the number of clam species and how they were distributed across Shui Hau Wan. We found that the average size of the Asiatic hard clam was 5 cm and the False Cockle 3 cm. In theory, when a clam grows beyond a certain size, its ability to reproduce drops. If clams smaller than the average size are left on the mudflats to keep growing, that would help keep the clam population stable.
For my master’s research, I conducted a questionnaire and interviewed clam diggers about their attitudes towards ecological conservation. I asked them to estimate whether the clams they dug and took home were large or small, and I recorded details of their clam-digging, including the number and size of clams they collected. Then I compared their responses with the average size benchmarks to assess whether they left behind smaller clams, and whether their actual behaviour matched environmentally friendly practices. I completed my master’s degree in May 2019, and my graduation thesis was published as a research paper in 2021.1 My findings showed that even though the participants were environmentally conscious, their actions weren’t always eco-friendly. This was because they relied on subjective judgment without knowing what counts as a “small” clam. This proves the value of the clam gauge developed by WWF.2 It helps visitors determine whether a clam is large or small.
I also collected data from a few local villagers. When they used a chi hau sickle to dig clams, only big clams made a sound, and the clams they dug up were at least 5 cm to 6 cm long. This shows that the chi hau sickle is an environmentally friendly size-selective tool.
I hope there will be management measures in place at Shui Hau Wan to regulate clam-digging and prevent over-harvesting. The exact approach can be discussed further. In other countries, sustainable harvesting practices are already in use. For example, in Canada, they use clam and crab gauges, and there are checkpoints in national parks. When visitors leave the checkpoints, they are not allowed to take clams and crabs that are too small, and all catches have to be weighed and recorded. Anyone who breaks the rules or over-harvests faces a fine. Effective environmental management needs a mix of laws and infrastructure.
At the time, I was writing my master’s thesis. I was particularly interested in how people behave in specific environments. There can be a gap between self-perception and actual behaviour. For instance, someone might consider themselves environmentally conscious, but that doesn’t necessarily mean they act in an eco-friendly way. [The impact of] clam-digging really depends on individual behaviour. For example, do visitors take the clams with them after digging? How long do they stay on the mudflats? So I decided to kill two birds with one stone: I started an ecological survey in Shui Hau and made clam-digging the focus of my thesis.
This baseline ecological study lasted for a year. From 2018 to 2019, I went to Shui Hau Wan every Saturday and Sunday and recruited a group of citizen scientists to help out. Together, we recorded more than 10,000 clams, and based on that data, we estimated the number of clam species and how they were distributed across Shui Hau Wan. We found that the average size of the Asiatic hard clam was 5 cm and the False Cockle 3 cm. In theory, when a clam grows beyond a certain size, its ability to reproduce drops. If clams smaller than the average size are left on the mudflats to keep growing, that would help keep the clam population stable.
For my master’s research, I conducted a questionnaire and interviewed clam diggers about their attitudes towards ecological conservation. I asked them to estimate whether the clams they dug and took home were large or small, and I recorded details of their clam-digging, including the number and size of clams they collected. Then I compared their responses with the average size benchmarks to assess whether they left behind smaller clams, and whether their actual behaviour matched environmentally friendly practices. I completed my master’s degree in May 2019, and my graduation thesis was published as a research paper in 2021.1 My findings showed that even though the participants were environmentally conscious, their actions weren’t always eco-friendly. This was because they relied on subjective judgment without knowing what counts as a “small” clam. This proves the value of the clam gauge developed by WWF.2 It helps visitors determine whether a clam is large or small.
I also collected data from a few local villagers. When they used a chi hau sickle to dig clams, only big clams made a sound, and the clams they dug up were at least 5 cm to 6 cm long. This shows that the chi hau sickle is an environmentally friendly size-selective tool.
I hope there will be management measures in place at Shui Hau Wan to regulate clam-digging and prevent over-harvesting. The exact approach can be discussed further. In other countries, sustainable harvesting practices are already in use. For example, in Canada, they use clam and crab gauges, and there are checkpoints in national parks. When visitors leave the checkpoints, they are not allowed to take clams and crabs that are too small, and all catches have to be weighed and recorded. Anyone who breaks the rules or over-harvests faces a fine. Effective environmental management needs a mix of laws and infrastructure.
The clam gauge is a new educational tool in
Hong Kong. It’s simple to use — if a clam can
pass through the hole in the gauge, it’s too
small to take.3 I just hope more people in Hong
Kong will know about it. The promotion has to
be fun and relatable. After all, environmental
conservation is a niche topic. In the past, green
groups rarely worked with online KOLs (Key
Opinion Leaders, meaning influencers). We
had to explain to our organisation what KOL
meant and the potential impact of the promotion, such as expected view counts. In the end,
we got Tung Fong-shing (actor Wong Kar-wai) to film a video with us. It had to be funny, not
boring. I just needed to say a few words to introduce the clam gauge and spread the message
of ecological conservation.
That was the first video I made with WWF, and it remains the most memorable. When we interviewed Auntie Kuen from Wan Lung Store and asked her about the role of clams in marine ecology, she said: “Steam them with the shells open or stir-fry with garlic.” It was hilarious. I totally didn’t expect that. So far, the video has reached 700,000 views on Facebook. That’s huge for an environmental topic and is not easy to beat. Even now when I’m out working on the mudflats, some visitors recognise me. That collaboration proved effective. Since then, WWF has gone on to work with other KOLs. I’m quite proud of what I’ve done.
That was the first video I made with WWF, and it remains the most memorable. When we interviewed Auntie Kuen from Wan Lung Store and asked her about the role of clams in marine ecology, she said: “Steam them with the shells open or stir-fry with garlic.” It was hilarious. I totally didn’t expect that. So far, the video has reached 700,000 views on Facebook. That’s huge for an environmental topic and is not easy to beat. Even now when I’m out working on the mudflats, some visitors recognise me. That collaboration proved effective. Since then, WWF has gone on to work with other KOLs. I’m quite proud of what I’ve done.
The Shui Hau project came in three phases: “Sustainable Shui Hau” (2018-2020), “Shoring Up
Shui Hau” (2020-2021), and “Connecting Shui Hau” (2022-2023). The names kind of mirror
my growing relationship with the villagers. “Shoring up” captures the stage of building a
relationship when two parties are just getting to know each other, and mutual understanding
and trust are still limited. When we first launched the project, few villagers supported the
idea of us painting a mural on the wall of the village office. So we changed the plan and
painted it on the wall of Fung Wong Bungalow Store instead. Later on, some kids in the village
wanted to join in. So we let them paint on clam shells and then stick them on the wall. Now
the villagers say the mural is beautiful.
The third phase of the project is called “Connecting Shui Hau”. The mural was the main highlight. We held two mural co-creation workshops. We gathered villagers’ memories and their hopes for Shui Hau’s future. More than 60 villagers took part.4 On the mural by the slope, there’s a person in shorts with no shirt on. That’s actually Mr. Chi, the boss of Lantau B&B. I often hung out with him over a drink. His Asiatic hard clam noodles are delicious. The broth is made with minced pork and clams, and it even has shrimp paste for extra flavour.
My relationship with the villagers has grown beyond just work. Since 2019 — except during the pandemic — I’ve been visiting Shui Hau every year on the second day of Lunar New Year. I’ve brought my parents and my girlfriend along, and most of the villagers have met them.
Because the Shui Hau project continued for years,5 we’ve been spending more and more time in the village — at least three or four days a month. So we decided to rent a place there to make it easier for us to get things done. It’s a small house with only two storeys, but it’s in a convenient spot. Once we moved in, it really felt like we were part of the community. When the villagers see us, they say: “Oh, you are from that little house.” So we named it “That Little House” and stuck the WWF panda logo on the door. It’s a fun touch.
The third phase of the project is called “Connecting Shui Hau”. The mural was the main highlight. We held two mural co-creation workshops. We gathered villagers’ memories and their hopes for Shui Hau’s future. More than 60 villagers took part.4 On the mural by the slope, there’s a person in shorts with no shirt on. That’s actually Mr. Chi, the boss of Lantau B&B. I often hung out with him over a drink. His Asiatic hard clam noodles are delicious. The broth is made with minced pork and clams, and it even has shrimp paste for extra flavour.
My relationship with the villagers has grown beyond just work. Since 2019 — except during the pandemic — I’ve been visiting Shui Hau every year on the second day of Lunar New Year. I’ve brought my parents and my girlfriend along, and most of the villagers have met them.
Because the Shui Hau project continued for years,5 we’ve been spending more and more time in the village — at least three or four days a month. So we decided to rent a place there to make it easier for us to get things done. It’s a small house with only two storeys, but it’s in a convenient spot. Once we moved in, it really felt like we were part of the community. When the villagers see us, they say: “Oh, you are from that little house.” So we named it “That Little House” and stuck the WWF panda logo on the door. It’s a fun touch.
Our conservation work in Shui Hau is community-based. Before writing the project proposal,
we invited villagers to take part. Together, we came up with a code of conduct for clam-digging.
We also gathered villagers’ feedback on the mural designs. It was a back-and-forth process
as we revised the proposal, and we kept the content flexible. For example, we installed two
AEDs (automated external defibrillators) in Shui Hau. You might wonder: what does that
have to do with marine conservation or community work? But it came from caring about
the villagers’ needs. Once an elderly uncle collapsed outside Fung Wong Bungalow Store. He
lost consciousness. There was no AED nearby, and no one in the village knew how to perform
cardiopulmonary resuscitation. The ambulance eventually arrived, but the uncle didn’t make
it. I suggested installing two AEDs, as we expected more organisations would be working in
the village, and there are many elderly residents. Later, we even ran a first aid workshop at the
village office to teach villagers how to use the AEDs and some basic first aid. Boss Wing (Chan
Chau-wing, owner of Fung Wong Bungalow Store) was a key participant because he’s in the
village most of the time.
My ideal vision is for Shui Hau Wan to be managed by the villagers themselves. This place belongs to them; it’s their home. When villagers are the ones asking visitors to dig fewer clams, the message carries much more weight than if it comes from NGO staff.
When we first teamed up with the owners of the four village stores, we gave out clam gauges and put up banners about the clam-digging code of conduct in the shops. After hearing us explain the code to visitors a few times, the store owners picked it up and were able to explain it themselves. The funding scheme will come to an end one day, so it’s even more important for us to work with the villagers on managing the environment, so that they’ll be ready to take over the conservation work in Shui Hau in the future.
My ideal vision is for Shui Hau Wan to be managed by the villagers themselves. This place belongs to them; it’s their home. When villagers are the ones asking visitors to dig fewer clams, the message carries much more weight than if it comes from NGO staff.
When we first teamed up with the owners of the four village stores, we gave out clam gauges and put up banners about the clam-digging code of conduct in the shops. After hearing us explain the code to visitors a few times, the store owners picked it up and were able to explain it themselves. The funding scheme will come to an end one day, so it’s even more important for us to work with the villagers on managing the environment, so that they’ll be ready to take over the conservation work in Shui Hau in the future.
