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How facial recognition can fight online illegal chimp trade

According to the UN Environment Programme, an annual estimate of 3,000 apes, about 2,000 of which are chimpanzees are taken and lost to the illegal trade.

Facial recognition software is being developed to track down illegal chimp trades on social media. The same algorithm that recognizes human faces on social media is being refined to search for the faces of rescued apes posted online.

Seven-year-old Manno was captured as an infant in 2011 and smuggled to Syria. His photos will serve as a guide to train the algorithm.

Poppy at six months, confiscated at a Liberian border.

This project was spearheaded by conservationalist Alexandra Russo as a result of endless and more often than not, moot online investigations of ape trafficking on Facebook and Instagram.

"We were spending more and more time looking through the depths of the internet; it's like a rabbit hole. You don't know where to look, you click around pretty aimlessly until you start to find things that look suspicious. So, I thought there must be a more efficient way to do this," she explains.

With facial recognition ideas in mind, Russo contacted non-profit Conservation X Labs and met computer vision expert Dr Colin McCormick.

Together, they made “Chimpface”.

“We train the algorithm to recognise individual chimps using up to 30 photos of an individual, adapting it to the chimp's facial structures," said Dr Colin McCormick.

Jane was rescued after being taken from Nigeria to Cairo.

The algorithm is being trained with a database 3,000 images of ape faces.

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House Bill: Shark Conservation Act

THE BILL CALLS FOR THE CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE USE OF SHARKS, RAYS AND CHIMERAS IN THE COUNTRY.

MONDAY- The House of Representatives approved on its third and final reading, House Bill 8926 or the proposed “Shark Conservation Act of the Philippines”. The bill calls for the conservation and sustainable use of sharks, rays and chimeras in the country.

House Bill 8926 or the Shark Conservation Act was principally authored by House Speaker Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and was approved by a total of 174 lawmakers.

In order to address marine wildlife extinction and maintain the marine ecosystem, the measure provides for the strict regulation of catching, possession, sale and trade of all sharks, rays and chimeras.

The bill bars any person or entity from possessing a shark lest they have the financial and technical capability to maintain the species.

“Sharks are typically depicted as apex predators that have significant top-down effects on food webs. They help keep prey populations healthy by feeding on weak, sick, or old fishes, and prevent overgrazing of critical marine habitats,” she added. 

Every year, tens of thousands of sharks and rays are caught and sold as delicacies worldwide.

Apart from ecological benefits, Arroyo claimed sharks and rays have been proven to boost local economies through sustainable tourism activities.

Oslob, Cebu's famous whale shark diving attraction

The Shark Conservation Act seeks to attain a balance between human needs and preserving the integrity of the Philippine marine ecosystem.

Under the bill, the Department of Agriculture-Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources are the local government units tasked to implement the law after they specify which species are still viable and could ably recover from population decline.

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No Sesso: No Gender

First transgender designer shows in New York Fashion Week

NEW YORK, US - A major step towards inclusivity in the fashion industry was embodied by Los Angeles designer Pierre Davis as the first openly transgender designer to present a collection at New York Fashion Week on Wednesday.

Fashion Week is a semi-annual series of events held in February and September where in international designers debut their new collections for the world to see. This year’s show began with men’s apparel on February 4 and will turn to women’s wear on February 7.

The Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), one of the founding bodies of NYFW, is a non-profit association that represents more than 500 designers. One of CFDA’s advocacies is to diversify the industry. They announced Davis’ show last month and said it would be “making NYFW history.”

(Left) Davis takes the catwalk at the end of her show

When asked how she feels being the first trans woman to show at NYFW, Davis said she’s just having a grand time.

“Right now, I’m making sure I have fun with designing. I’m just going to keep having fun with it. That’s how you do it.”

Davis told the CFDA that she hopes the brand "will inspire people to be more community-minded and to realize not everything is just about aesthetics or commerce. It's also about humanity."

Davis founded the brand “No Sesso” in 2015 and categorizes her designs by chapters instead of collections. No Sesso translates to “no gender” in Italian and is evident in her gender-neutral designs. Her debut at NYFW showcased a unisex collection that transcends gender codes of dress with a whimsical touch.

“It is important that people of all intersectional identities are given a fighting chance regardless of their identity. The playing field isn't level in the world, and it is even more difficult in fashion," she said.

Pieces such as vests became skirts, cocktail dresses were transformed and typical business and semi-formal garments were made of lush and colorful textiles. They were worn by both male and female models of various body types to reflect NYFW’s growing efforts towards diversity.