Australia's oceans are home to incredible wildlife, from dugongs, turtles and sawfish in our tropical north to dolphins and Australian sea lions around our southern coast. However, many of these species are threatened by commercial fishing, with declining populations.
Fishers are meant to report their interactions with these iconic species. But we know that in many of Australia's highest-risk fisheries, these deaths are being covered up and under-reported. This can't happen if we want a future for our threatened ocean wildlife. We need an accurate picture of what is being caught.
Independent monitoring is the solution. Cameras on boats provide accurate data that we need to ensure the recovery of threatened species populations.
The Federal Minister for the Environment Hon Tanya Plibersek MP oversees all fisheries in Australia and, under our environment laws, has the power to apply conditions to fishing operations to ensure that they meet modern sustainability standards.
Please add your name to urge Minister Plibersek to ensure that all of Australia's highest-risk fisheries are independently monitored in their fishing operations.
By adding your own personal message on why this is important to you, you can drastically increase your impact. If you have the time, we highly recommend doing so.
I'm writing to you as an Australian concerned about bycatch in Australia's commercial fisheries. All around the country threatened species like sawfish, turtles and Australian sea lions are caught and killed in commercial fisheries.
Fishers are meant to report these interactions with threatened species, but for too long they have been covered up and under-reported. To protect our unique marine life, and meet the Government's commitment of zero extinctions we need to get an accurate picture of what is being caught.
But you can change this, and help populations of iconic species like dugongs and dolphins. We urge you to ensure that all of Australia's high risk commercial fisheries have strict conditions that require electronic monitoring included in their Wildlife Trade Operation accreditations under the EPBC Act. Only then can we get the accurate data we need to make sure our iconic and threatened species can thrive again.
The future of our iconic marine wildlife is in your hands.
[Your comment here]
Thank you!
[Your name here]
