In February this year thousands of people gathered on a Sydney beach to protest the Western Australian shark cull, while a few hundred metres behind them our own dirty secret lurked in the ocean. With all the media attention recently on the WA cull, it’s easy to forget that here on the east coast we have had systems in place [...]

An open letter to Barry O’Farrell, NSW Premier, and Katrina Hodgkinson, Primary Industries Minister for NSW We have been diving for over a decade in Australia and there is nothing quite like it. To slowly slip beneath the surface of our amazing blue planet and witness, first hand, the labyrinth of sea creatures in their complex ecosystems is pure privilege. To not [...]

Giant kelp forests are a temperate water divers heaven. They provide shelter through their towering, dense canopies and consequently, a much greater diversity of plant and animal species is found in kelp ecosystems than almost any other ocean community. Almost gravity defying, giant kelp is the largest marine plant in the world. The algae grows up to 45 metres tall [...]

In a matter of days, officials from countries around the world will have an historic opportunity to protect a record number of sharks and rays – including oceanic whitetip sharks, hammerhead sharks and manta rays – from the unsustainable international trade that threatens their survival. International trade in wild plants and animals is worth billions of dollars a year and [...]

The Coral Sea, which is a global biodiversity hotpot for pelagic species has today been protected in the world’s largest marine park, adjacent to the Great Barrier Reef.  The Coral Sea Marine Reserve is truly the jewel in the crown of a new system of marine parks around Australia that recognise the value of our oceans as the common heritage [...]

Bluefin, Yellowfin, Skipjack, Albacore or Bigeye?  In brine, springwater, olive oil, Mediterranean herbs or Thai chilli? Canned, foil packaged, sashimi grade, herb crusted or seared? In pasta sauce, with fries, salad, rice or sushi? What’s your preference? The simple truth is that we have an insatiable appetite for tuna. Turning the pages of a well known health and lifestyle magazine [...]

Inspiring positive difference is easy I really want to make you think. You’ll be better off when you do. So will your friends and family and so will the place that you live. The cost? The few short minutes that it takes you to read what I’ve written. The benefit? There’re quite a lot – I’ll outline a few of [...]

Growing up in the 80’s, I have vivid memories of the environmental lobby group, Greenpeace. Perhaps I was young and impressionable, perhaps I was simply passionate about nature and the environment, but for me, there was something about Greenpeace that I found awe inspiring. Often controversial, often unconventional, Greenpeace showed raw passion in everything that they lobbied for, be it [...]