SHEBA teams up with Hawai singer Cravalho, Kuleana Coral Reefs to step up restoring coral reefs 

27 / 07 / 2023

• news
• Sustainable Development

SHEBA, one of Mars brands, teamed up with Auli`i Cravalho, Hawaiian-born actress, singer and cat parent, as well as  Kuleana Coral Reefs, a nonprofit organization helping to restore and protect Hawai`i’s coral reefs and native ecosystem, in order to step up restoration of coral reefs.

Marking the Coral Reef Awareness, SHEBA® brand won’t stand idly by.as scientists predict  90% of the world’s tropical reefs to be gone in the next 20 years, threatening 25% of the world’s marine life — it’s also devastating to coastal communities. Without intervention, nearly half a billion people who depend on coral reefs for food, income and coastal protection may be impacted.

“More coral means more fish, and more fish helps maintain marine ecosystems here in Hawai`i, and around the world,” said Alika Garcia, co-founder of Kuleana Coral Reefs. “We’re happy to be working together with the SHEBA brand to maximize our impact in the archipelago. By protecting coral, we’re protecting our family.”

“This shared responsibility to our environment, mutual mission to ensure the future has more fish and sustained action to protect and support our oceans is what has brought the SHEBA brand together with Kuleana Coral Reefs. Meaningful partnerships, like this one, help expand impact. With the SHEBA brand’s support, Kuleana Coral Reefs has already accelerated their work to the broader Hawaiian archipelago – increasing from 10 to 30 sites across O’ahu and Maui.”

“We know that cats love fish, and while we all want to provide our beloved picky eaters with high-quality and nutritious food, care should be taken to minimize impact on the planet,” said Jean-Paul Jansen, Vice President of Marketing for Mars Petcare North America. “As a brand that’s proudly part of Mars, we believe the world we want tomorrow is one in which the planet is healthy, which is why we are taking continued action today to help achieve that. We’re thrilled to be able to partner with Kuleana Coral Reefs to maximize impact here in the U.S. to help ensure a future with more fish.”

To rally support for this coral reef restoration, the SHEBA brand has partnered with Auli`i Cravalho, Hawaiian-born actress, singer and pet parent to her cat Rocco, to show that everyone can make a difference to help restore the health of the planet.

“I grew up on the beaches and coastlines of Hawai`i, surrounded by the ocean, and I’ve seen firsthand the impact climate change has had,” said Cravalho. “I feel strongly that we all have a responsibility to make the future more sustainable. That’s why I’m excited that my partnership with the SHEBA brand allows me to shine a spotlight on an extraordinary organization, Kuleana Coral Reefs, and the work they’re doing to preserve and restore the beauty in our oceans to help ensure our future has fish.”

Cravalho is encouraging everyone to join her, the SHEBA brand and Kuleana Coral Reefs to practice Laulima, a Hawaiian term for many hands working together; everyone can help work towards a future with healthier reefs and more fish, even in simple ways.

It is worth mentioning that the cat food brand’s Sheba Hope Grows™ program has been working to ensure a future with more fish since 2019 — leading with Hope Reef. Located off the coast of Sulawesi in Indonesia, the reef is one of the world’s largest repaired coral reefs and spells out the word “HOPE” when viewed from above. It’s even become a Historical Landmark on Google Earth and can be found on Google Maps and StreetView. Since work began, coral growth has increased from 2% to 70%, fish populations have increased by 260% and there’s been a 64% rise in the number of fish species.

By showing the world that there’s a man-made solution to this man-made problem that can be implemented at scale, the SHEBA brand is inspiring others, driving momentum and demonstrating that it is possible to have a plentiful, sustainable fish population for years to come.