Protect Napoleon fish
“If Napoleon fish becomes extinct, the next generation will never see this beautiful fish again,” marine biologist Dr. Yvonne Sadovy says.
Hong Kong is the world’s largest importer of this reef species. According to Yvonne, many Napoleons sold locally are illegally imported but detecting this is difficult because legal imports are not tagged. “The markings on every Napoleon fish face are complex and unique. This inspired me to use facial recognition technology to track down illegally imported Napoleon fish. The new mobile app “Saving Face” was designed to compare the facial markings of Napoleon fish against government records to help detect illegally imported Napoleon fish and prosecute traders in breach of the law.”
Yvonne adds, “Protecting Napoleon fish is just the start. We strive to curtail unsustainable and illegal fish trades to support the conservation of important species in marine ecosystems.”