About us

OceanWatch Australia was established in 1989 by Peter Doyle OA, the renowned seafood industry personality, following reports of poor water quality and high levels of contamination in fish from Sydney’s inshore ocean outfalls.

Since then OceanWatch has grown and now works on projects and with fishers around Australia.

Our work focuses on finding practical solutions to environmental problems that affect our coastal environments and estuaries.  We also help commercial fishers take up new technologies and improved practices for a sustainable seafood industry.

Our work has won several industry awards including an Award for Excellence from the United Nations Association of Australia, World Environment Day 2005 and an Honourable Mention in the WWF International SmartGear Competition with the Popeye Fish Excluder developed for use in the northern prawn fisheries.

Find more information about us in the OceanWatch Australia Strategic Plan (2011-2014).

What we do

Our key programs and projects are:

• The SeaNet program This program has been running since 1999, it involves our SeaNet officers working with fishermen around Australia to improve their environmental performance.
• The Tide to Table program : One of our most successful programs where we form partnerships with land and marine primary producers, landholders, regional Natural Resource Management bodies, government and community based Landcare and Bushcare groups to improve water quality and aquatic habitats.
• Our Valuable Estuaries project :  We developed educational tools, including a CD ROM, for teaching kids about where healthy seafood comes from and how to maintain a healthy catchment.
• TAngler Bins Project : The introduction of TAngler bins to recreational areas,  beaches and other fishing spots helps educate recreational fishers and remove fishing line litter that is harmful to native birds and other animals.
• Sustainable practices. We assist fishers and seafood producers around Australia to adopt new technologies and practices.  This includes developing and take-up of environmental management systems (EMS), Codes of Practice (CoP) or Codes of Conduct (CoC) for a more sustainable seafood industry.

We also:

• undertake research and provide advice to governments, Natural Resource Management (NRM) managers, local communities and other coastal and marine stakeholders on issues impacting on the seafood industry
• sit on various national and state committees to ensure that environmental issues that impact on the sustainability of seafood are recognised and addressed
• produce reports, handbooks and manuals, and
• attend community events with our education displays and
• develop educational material for fishers, schools and interested groups

We are a unique organisation, with strong alliances with various organisations across Australia, especially within the seafood industry.

We also have strong connections with federal, state and local governments, local communities and land owners and other environmental bodies.  These alliances along with our SeaNet staff in each state helps OceanWatch deliver projects on-ground around Australia.