Copy
View this email in your browser / Sign up to this newsletter

National Marine NRM News 

June 2021
Facebook
Twitter
Website
Instagram
In This Edition:
 

Featured
Marine NRM Coastal Directory Launched
OceanWatch has just launched the Marine NRM Coastal Directory, developed through our WetFEET Program. Key information on Researchers, Natural Resource Management Agents and Suppliers working in the marine environment, will now be now accessible in one place. This free register, publicly available on the OceanWatch website, is an easy way to develop communities of practice to connect and collectively share knowledge with an extensive network marine experts and practitioners.
Check out the Marine NRM Coastal Directory here and create your account to meet your future partners.

This project is supported by OceanWatch Australia, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.
Master Fisherman SA Training
OceanWatch Master Fisherman training is underway in South Australia as part of our WetFEET program. Pictured above 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 Scalefish fisheries, hosting 6 workshops for up to 90 fishers.
Learn more about the WetFEET program here, and visit the Master Fisherman website. 

This project is supported by OceanWatch Australia, through funding from the Australian Government’s National Landcare Program.
Source Reduction Plan- Alternatives to single use chemical light sticks.
OceanWatch is working with Tuna Australia, the Australian Fisheries Management Authority and Tangaroa Blue on a Source Reduction Plan focused on single-use chemical light sticks as part of the ReefClean Program. Currently trials are being undertaken to test two designs of battery-operated light sticks as an alternative option to single use chemical light sticks. This trial hopes to maximise fishing effort while reducing loss and one cause of light sticks washing up on beaches as debris.  
Check out the video update from a professional long line Captain who is taking part here. 

ReefClean is funded by the Australian Government's Reef Trust and delivered by Tangaroa Blue Foundation in partnership with OceanWatch Australia.

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

Learn more.
Ryan Golby

Ryan Golby is a proud professional fisherman from the Wallis Lake region, he is endorsed in the Estuary General Fiishery. He began fishing professionally in 2013, following in the footsteps of his father.

“I believe increasing the quality of my products is better than catching extra. I treat my fish and crabs with respect and never go to sea without copious amounts of ice ensuring the very best quality possible. By keeping my business small scale, I always have the freshest available seafood in smaller portions.”

Learn more
David Mitchell
 
Dave Mitchell has been a professional fisherman since 1972, and is based at South West Rocks on the NSW Mid-North coast. Mitch is endorsed in the NSW Ocean Haul and Estuary General fisheries, harvesting sea mullet, pipi and beach worms.

He has a history of initiating and assisting sustainability research. For this work, his Ocean Hauling Crew was highly commended in the NSW Seafood Industry Awards for Environmental Excellence on two occasions.


Learn more

Get Involved
Women in Seafood
The second annual Women in Seafood C-Leaders Online Program has opened for registrations. The WISA Women in Seafood C-Leaders Online Program has been specifically designed as a Leadership Pathway for women in the seafood industry wishing to improve their leadership and advocacy skills. Learning about your unique leadership style, building confidence and learning to work with others with differing techniques is all part of the program.

Find out more here. 
Phillip Island Whale Festival
The Phillip Island Whale Festival taking place on the 2nd – 4th July at a range of venues across Phillip Island. Local community members and visitors alike have the opportunity to engage with a range of activities that will not only entertain, but also allow you to appreciate the wildlife and natural habitats of Phillip Island and the Bass Coast region. The festival program can be found here.
If you are interested in joining as a volunteer, register here. 
Traditional Owner Reef Protection

The next edition of the RTP in focus webinar series is focusing on Traditional Owner Reef Protection. The webinar will be held on Tuesday 6th July 12.30 pm to 1.30 pm. Register for the webinar here. 

For more than 25 years, Traditional Owners from across the Reef have been coming together to explore and call for a collective approach to achieving their rights and aspirations for ownership, access to, and involvement in the formal governance and management of Sea Country. 

The Traditional Owner Reef Protection component is building the foundational pillars needed to deliver these aspirations, creating stronger Indigenous-led processes and the step-change needed for sustaining inclusive governance and management of the Reef, while recognising cultural values and diversity.

Find out more about Traditional Owner Reef Protection here. 
Tasmanian Recreational Sea Fishing Strategy

The Draft Tasmanian Recreational Sea Fishing Strategy is now open for public comment. The Strategy is a comprehensive 10-year plan for the future of recreational sea fishing in Tasmania. Your feedback is important and will be considered in the finalisation of the Strategy. Public comment period is open until Monday, 26 July 2021.
Have your say. 

Read the draft strategy here. 
Survey: Impact of Fire-Fighting Chemicals on Species and Ecosystems in Australia
Climate change is leading to drier and warmer weather conditions which in turn lead to longer and more intense fire seasons and more frequent and/or severe fires in Australia. These fires have significant impacts on biodiversity and a range of strategies and policies are in place to manage the impacts of fire on species and ecosystems. One of the main strategies in place to fight natural fires is the use of fire-fighting chemicals. Increasing fire frequency and severity associated with predicted future climate change will lead to increased use of these chemicals in the natural environment. To date, however, little is known about the impacts of fire-fighting chemicals on Australian species and ecosystems.

The purpose of this research is to collect expert opinion on the impacts of fire-fighting chemicals on species and ecosystems and identify key knowledge gaps and research priorities in relation to fire-fighting chemical use in Australia. 

This work is being conducted by Dr Clare Morrison, Dr Laura Grogan and Dr Chantal Lanctôt from the School of Environment and Science, Griffith University as part of a larger study into the impacts of fire-fighting chemicals on Australian fauna. 
 
Take part in the survey here. 
 

In The News
NSW commits to reducing plastics
The NSW government released The NSW Plastics Action Plan, $356 million will be invested over five years to implement the plan. The plan outlines a comprehensive suite of actions to address plastic at all points of the plastics lifecycle, from production and consumption to disposal and recycling, this includes phasing out single-use plastics. The plan will also support innovation, and plastics research. 
Environment Minister Matt Kean said “The single-use items we are phasing-out will stop an estimated 2.7 billion items of plastic litter from ending up in our environment and waterways over the next 20 years,”

Read the plan here.
Farmer of the Year
Pearl farmer James Brown was recognised as Australian Farmer of the Year for his innovative approach to farming, his support of industry research and development and his dedication to advancing Australian pearls as a premium product around the world. James farms pearls in Cygnet Bay WA, and has recently expanded into Broken Bay, NSW.
The 2020/2021 Farmer of the Year awards were held in June in Canberra, these awards celebrate excellence in Australian farming.
Ocean Decade Briefing
The second Ocean Decade Australia stakeholder briefing was held in June in Canberra.  The discussion explored topics surrounding how Australia's ocean stakeholders will measure success for a sustainable future. Australia's ocean stakeholder's are a diverse group, these discussion are helping to bring stakeholders together to make important steps towards the effective management of our oceans for the benefit of humanity. 
The vision of the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development 2021-2030 is to develop scientific knowledge, build infrastructure and foster relationships for a sustainable and healthy ocean.
The initial Ocean Decade Australia stakeholder briefing held in March focused on what success would look like for Australians after 10 years focused on the ocean.

Find out more here.

Grants, Awards and Opportunities 

World Fisheries Congress

The World Fisheries Congress 2021 will be held in Adelaide from 20-24 September 2021. The Congress will be a hybrid event allowing delegates to participate both in person or online, so the Congress can continue to connect the global fisheries and aquaculture community.

Learn more.

National Landcare Conference

The National Landcare Conference will be held on Wednesday 4 – 6 August, 2021 at the
International Convention Centre, Darling Harbour, Sydney. 
Landcarers from across the country will gather this August to share knowledge, ideas, and plan for the future – as part of the 2021 National Landcare Conference. With over 60 speakers, the conference includes a field trip program around the Greater Sydney region, and four important panels on the topics of Landcare Farming, Mental Health and Wellbeing, Bushfire Recovery and Resilience, and Cultural Land Management. 
Registration is FREE  for online delegates .

Learn more.

Nuffield Scholarship

Applications are now open for the 2022 scholarships. 

The Nuffield Scholarship program awards primary producers with a life-changing scholarship to travel and study an agricultural topic of choice. Scholars are selected annually as people who are committed and passionate about farming or fishing, are at the leading edge of technology uptake and potential future leaders.

Learn more.

Community Resilience Grants

As part of the Stay Afloat Pilot Program 35 Community Resilience Grants are available to support events that encourage commercial seafood communities nationwide to come together in a supportive setting to raise awareness of mental health and the benefits of overall wellbeing.

Learn more.

Master Fisherman Seafood Directory

To support NSW OceanWatch Master Fisherman’s seafood sales, an online directory of Master Fisherman's retailers has been created. This searchable map will help potential customers find Master Fisherman’s products.  You can find the directory on the Master Fisherman website homepage.

If you have any questions or would like to be added to the directory, please contact Claire Denamur on 0427 883 018 or email claire@oceanwatch.org.au

Related Newsletters & Links

OceanWatch relies on donations to keep our vital community and industry work running. We are a registered charity, and  donations are tax deductible. A receipt for your donation will be provided when upon processing. Please give today to make a difference.

Click here to donate to OceanWatch today!
If you have any feedback or suggestions how we can improve this publication, please let us know. 
Email: comms@oceanwatch.org.au
Phone: (02) 9660 2262
Instagram
Facebook
YouTube
Twitter
Website
Our Members & Shareholders
Our Core Funding:
Copyright © 2020 OceanWatch Australia, All rights reserved.

Our mailing address is:
comms@oceanwatch.org.au

Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list

 






This email was sent to <<Email Address>>
why did I get this?    unsubscribe from this list    update subscription preferences
OceanWatch Australia · Locked Bag 247 · Pyrmont, New South Wales 2009 · Australia