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National Marine NRM News 

December 2022

From all of us at OceanWatch we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
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In This Edition:
 

Featured
Marine Muster
Our Annual Marine Muster was held recently at Sydney Fish Market. It was great opportunity to hear about all the excellent work occurring in and around our marine environment in Sydney and beyond. This year we focused on prioritisation and collaboration in the marine space, kicking off with a plenary from the Marine Estate Management Authority. We heard from a range of speakers representing NGOs, researchers, and government who provided updates on their work and collaborations.
The Muster also included an opportunity to explore some of the key challenges facing our marine environment and the work we do, together with the collective minds in the room we were able to discuss possible solutions. 
NRM Workshops
OceanWatch Australia, with the professional assistance of Independent facilitator Mr Les Robinson, has recently held 7 coastal State/Territory based workshops to review the National Marine NRM objectives and collate actions to add to the new 2023-2027 Marine NRM Plan. This will be the guiding document for OceanWatch’s Marine NRM Programme.
The workshops were attended by 95 people in total, and over 50 actions were put forth from the groups as urgent focus areas. The Plan will be available from next year and seek funding to support important action, planning, behaviour change and monitoring in the marine environment in Australia. Stay tuned for a stakeholders’ feedback survey as an additional consultation measure next year.
Our top pick for the perfect Christmas gift…
The Port to Plate Cookbook is unique! A collaboration that brought together the Port Stephens community and seafood industry to showcase what's local.  Learn about the intricacies of Port Stephens' surrounding waterways and estuaries, the seafood species available and how best to cook them. With 40+ delicious recipes created by local chefs, community members and generational families, this is the perfect gift for seafood lovers at Christmas.

Get your copy at here.

The OceanWatch Master Fisherman program involves formal training and assessment for professional fishers and oyster growers, and supplementary development of online profiles to help demonstrate individual commitment to responsible practices. 
The OceanWatch Master Fisherman program is continuing to raise the standard of responsible fishing and aquaculture in Australia. Recognised OceanWatch Master Fisherman showcase the drive for sustainability and environmental awareness in the Australian seafood industry.

Learn more.
Rex Martin

Rex is a 3rd generation fisherman who is currently working with his father Troy in the Marine Scalefish Fishery. Based in Elliston in the Eyre Peninsula, Rex focuses his efforts on catching key species to supply local consumers with local and responsibly sourced seafood. Rex loves everything about his job and the lifestyle that comes with it.
 
Brad Wright

Brad Wright is a highly experienced fisherman who began professionally fishing in 1974. Brad is a first generation fisherman who began his career as a deckhand, before creating his own fishing business in 1992. He loves the flexibility in which fishing provides and the marine wildlife he gets to see on a daily basis.

Learn more. 

Get Involved and Do Your Bit
The growth of Australian seafood processing is in the North
The Northern Territory Government and the local Northern Territory seafood industry are focused on growing Australia’s seafood capabilities and contributing to Australia’s economic growth by supporting and enhancing opportunities to process seafood in Darwin.
With clean pristine waters and healthy fish stock, Darwin provides an ideal location for local processing with significant potential for financial returns. The Northern Territory is positioned to be a leader in transforming the way seafood is processed and supplied to Australians and our neighbours abroad. 
The Northern Territory Seafood Council is calling on expressions of interest for processing opportunities. Register your interest or simply tell us that you want to be kept informed about seafood processing opportunities in Darwin. 

Register online
Call: 08 8981 5194 
Email: ntsc@ntsc.com.au 
 
Maugean Skate Awareness Project
Maugean Skates are one of Tasmania's most endangered marine species and Macquarie Harbour is now the only place where they are found.
Most of us won't get the chance to see one of these rare and elusive ancient fish face-to-face, as they live in the dark tannin-stained waters of Macquarie Harbour. If you visit Strahan, Tasmanian this summer you may not see the real thing, but you will see plenty of skate-inspired art. 
Check it out all under one roof at the Grand Opening a Strahan Primary School on Sat 14th Jan or follow the Skate Art Trail around the township of Strahan from Sun 15th Jan- Tue 28th Feb. So get your skates on and head to Strahan this summer.

Learn more.
Tide to Tip 2023
It's the time of year that we begin to plan for our next set of Tide to Tip clean-up events. 
Since 2019 oyster farmers across 23 estuaries have partnered with OceanWatch to remove over 30 tonnes of marine debris from our nations waterways and shorelines. OceanWatch is looking to expand this successful event and encourage more participation from the seafood industry and communities across Australia to get involved  for the 2023 events.
If you are interested in learning more or getting involved in the clean-ups visit our website or contact: comms@oceanwatch.org.au

In The News
Busting Ghost Nets Haunting the GBR

World first program that uses retrieved and repurposed satellite technology to track and remove deadly and destructive ghost nets

With giant ghost nets wreaking havoc on marine life and corals around the Great Barrier Reef, marine debris charity Tangaroa Blue Foundation has taken to the sky by partnering with international technology company Satlink to launch a world first program which uses satellite technology to tag and track ghost nets while retrieval teams are mobilised to remove them.

Satlink’s “Project ReCon” will allow for repurposing recovered echosounder buoys to track ghost nets entering the Great Barrier Reef and will be integrated into Tangaroa Blue Foundation’s ReefClean project that is funded by the Australian Government’s Reef Trust.

Read more.
Earthshot Prize Winners: Indigenous Women of the GBR 

The Queensland Indigenous Women's Ranger Network which works to manage and protect the Great Barrier Reef is the winner of the 2022 EarthShot Prize in the 'Revive our Ocean's' category. The Network, established in 2018, has trained over 60 women, encouraging new conservation approaches by sharing knowledge and telling stories. Members of the network have gone on to find work as rangers in Queensland or in conservation elsewhere. 

The winners of the other 4 categories included: 
Protect and Restore Nature: Kheyti
Clean Our Air: Mukuru Clean Stoves 
Build a Waste-Free World : Notpla 
Fix our Climate: 44.01

Learn more. 
State of the Climate Report 2022

The State of the Climate Report was released on the 23rd November and draws on the latest national and international climate research, encompassing observations, analyses and future projections to describe year-to-year variability and longer-term changes in Australia’s climate.

Read the report here. 

Grants, Awards and Opportunities 

Litter Prevention Grants Program

The NSW Government has opened the Waste and Sustainable Materials Strategy 2041 (WASM) Litter Prevention Grants Program for councils, community groups and other key stakeholders to deliver litter prevention projects and develop strategic plans to address litter in their local environments. Up to $10 million in funding is available in 3 streams from 2022 to 2027. Expressions of interest are now open. 

Learn more.

Threatened and Migratory Species Fisheries Bycatch Mitigation Program

Funding is now available for Australian commercial wild-catch fisheries to be more sustainable by investing in practical solutions that aim to mitigate the bycatch of species listed as threatened and/or migratory under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 Act (EPBC Act). Applications close 23-Jan-2023 5:00 pm.

Learn more.

PhD Project: Women in the Seafood Industry of the Northern Territory: Participation, Contribution & Workforce Retention

Participation in the seafood industry in Australia and more specifically the NT , has almost exclusively focused on male participation. This is despite approximately 25% of women who participate as fishers, boat owners, skippers and in other land -based supply chain and administrative roles often in family run businesses. There is increasing recognition of the role and contribution women play in the seafood industry, but their participation is declining due to a range of barriers. This PhD study will investigate the participation, contribution, and retention of women in commercial seafood industries in the NT. The closing date for expressions of interest is 16 January 2023

Learn more.

International Seaweed Symposium

Registration is open for the international Seaweed Symposium to be held for the first time in Australia.  It will take place in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia’s most southern state, from Sunday 19th to Friday 24th February 2023.

Learn more.

The Sunrise Project Small Grants program

An open application process for small grants of up to $5,000 for community groups working to hasten the transition from fossil fuels to clean, renewable energy or to protect Australia’s ecosystems from the negative impacts of the coal and gas industries. 

Learn more.

Wettenhall Environment Trust's Small Environmental Grant Scheme

Providing support for people undertaking projects that will make a positive difference to the natural living environment, in land, sea or air, rural or urban. Supports grassroots organisations and individuals, and academics who are working with on-ground community groups. Includes four rounds every year. Grants are usually $10,000 and focus on flora and fauna conservation or threatened mammal conservation.

Learn more.

Marine NRM Coastal Directory

The Marine NRM Coastal Directory is designed to connect people and skill sets reducing silos between disciplines. This free register, publicly available on the OceanWatch website, is an easy way to engage new colleagues and extend your network, helping to fuel the growth of Australia's blue-green innovations. Key information on Researchers, Natural Resource Management Agents, and Suppliers working in the marine environment, are now accessible in one place.

Create your account or search for others

Related Newsletters & Links

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