In her 12 years of diving with sharks in different parts of the world, Miao Wang has seen the decline in the numbers of shark all over the world.
Now that Wang is in the Philippines, she is driven by the urge to help the community of Donsol, Sorsogon, to conserve the ocean and the sharks, where most sightings in the Philippines can be seen.
Wang also added that exploring to work more closely with sustainable eco-tourism as a support to local communities is at a different level in Donsol, because the whole whale shark or ‘butanding’ interaction experience tells a different story as compared to other places she visited.
By being environmentally aware, Wang believes that it will circle back to the community, creating a real tangible impact.
She is the founder of ‘In Shark We Trust,’ a sustainable swimsuit brand launched in 2019 whose design is patterned after the skin tone of whale sharks.
Out of her personal love for sharks, Wang created a swim wear collection and collaborated with the local government of Donsol and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines.
It is also considered the world’s first for-purpose sustainable fashion brand that is fully dedicated to shark and ocean conservation, reinventing activism through lifestyle, education, and creativity.
“It is really also to use this as a way to fundraise for the local NGOs and to support the great work they are doing not just in research but also to support local communities,” Wang said.
One of her latest produced swimwear is a pattern from Pontoon, a local whale shark from the municipal waters of Donsol which captured her delight and proved that her love for sharks is deep and unimaginable.
Aside from this, Wang also believes that the best way to preserve the animals is to first preserve the culture and the people in the local community.
“It is really to empower local people, to do what they think is the right thing what’s best for the ocean,” she said.
Wang donated several of her butanding-inspired swimsuits that the candidates wore for Mutya ng Donsol 2023 swim wear competition last April 28. | God Frey Las Piñas
Photo courtesy: WWF Philippines
