Mangroves are plants that live in the intertidal zone. They hold sediment with their roots, are extremely important for trapping and storing carbon from the atmosphere, and provide habitat for a variety of animals such as oysters, spiders, birds, crabs and fish. They also hold cultural value for many people. The 2019-2020 bushfires affected many …
A world-first Fish Habitat Protection Protocol Against Bushfires to safeguard the marine environment from future mega bushfire impacts. The devastating 2019-20 bushfires impacted everything, including the marine environment, as several worrying observations were made by residents and fishermen up and down the East Coast. However, the nature, scale and distribution of these marine impacts observed …
OceanWatch Master Fisherman training is underway in South Australia as part of our WetFEET program. Pictured below are some of the most recent professional fisherman from the Lakes & Coorong Fishery to be recognised as OceanWatch Master Fisherman. Through the program OceanWatch is working with professional fishers from the Lakes & Coorong and Marine …
OceanWatch held a Whale Entanglement Mitigation workshop at Sydney Fish Market in early March 2021. This was part of the East Coast Whale Entanglement Mitigation Program, initiated in NSW to respond to issues associated with whale entanglements. In attendance were professional fishers from the NSW ocean trap and line fishery, NSW National Parks and Wildlife …
To celebrate World Fisheries Day, OceanWatch is showcasing the OceanWatch Master Fisherman Program with the release of a new video. The OceanWatch Master Fisherman program is helping to recognise professional fishers for their efforts to raise the standard of responsible fishing in Australia. These fisherman showcase the drive for sustainability and environmental awareness in …
Research has shown the NSW Ocean Trawl Fishery has minimal interactions with seabirds (read more here). To ensure the fishery remains seabird friendly into the future, NSW trawl fishers have worked with OceanWatch Australia and NSW DPI Fisheries to develop seabird management plans for individual vessels that describe a range of operational and physical measures …
NSW Trawl Fishers endorse seabird friendly fishing practices Read More »
June 8th is World Ocean’s Day; this year’s theme is “Innovation for a sustainable ocean”. The world’s oceans are essential for life on Earth, providing food, medicine, and important ecosystem services, as well as being a large source of the world’s biodiversity. These crucial ecosystems are threatened by anthropogenic influences so we must work together …
It is very normal to get confused about the difference between compostable and biodegradable materials. While all compostable products are biodegradable, not all biodegradable products are compostable. The main differences are related to: their own production materials, how they decompose, and the residual elements after decomposition. Compostable products are made by organic elements or plants …
This year we could not celebrate local, sustainable seafood in the usual way, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Instead, this year the professional fishermen of South West Rocks donated their product to indigenous communities on the NSW north coast, those whose ancestors fished these shores long before the fisherman of today, some of whom still …
Amid the current crisis that faces this world, take some time to join together in solidarity to help tackle another crisis facing our planet. This Saturday the 28th of March lets #switchoff for Earth Hour. One hour of no power, take part in switching off the lights, together we can raise our voice and show …