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 [...]

Five commercially valuable shark species, manta rays & freshwater sawfish gain increased protection Bangkok, 14 March 2013. CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species) plenary today accepted Committee recommendations to list five species of highly traded sharks, the oceanic whitetip, porbeagle and three species of hammerheads (great, smooth & scalloped hammerhead) under the CITES Appendix II. Both types of manta [...]

Ever thought about donating yourself to science? Now you can! Diving enthusiasts are urgently needed to help monitor the world’s largest type of manta ray (manta birostris) in the Great Barrier Reef off Lady Elliot Island. Mantas are the gentle giants of the ocean, weighing as much as 1,400kg and with a disc width of up to seven metres. To [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Until relatively recently, individuals who were concerned about the state of the environment were considered to be “tree-huggers”, eccentric, alarmist or even radical. Nowadays, we are bombarded with images, articles and stories which serve to constantly remind us and make us more aware of the impact the human race is having on our planet. Our glorious oceans cover seven tenths [...]