Stop the silent extinction crisis beneath the waves
Over 70% of our Earth is ocean, yet the way we are interacting with it is deeply damaging to it and the creatures that live in it.
Without drastic action, uniquely Australian species could disappear before we even get a chance to know them. Endangered hammerheads will still be fished in the Great Barrier Reef, and iconic species like sawfish may no longer cruise our coasts and rivers.
We can’t let that happen.
Save Our Endangered Sharks & Rays.
We must act now. Sign the petition below and urge the Australian Government to overhaul our most destructive fisheries by implementing the following solutions:
Protect threatened species as ‘no take’ species under law and make actions to support their recovery mandatory, with sufficient funding to achieve them.
Protect critical habitats from fishing through the establishment of sanctuary zones.
Regular and robust observer programs, including 100% electronic monitoring (i.e. cameras) on all vessels.
Improve Bycatch Reduction Devices (‘escape hatches’) to reduce catching threatened species in the first place.
Improve and prioritise data collection for data-poor species. This includes reporting what sharks and rays are caught and discarded to species-level.
Training fishers to safely handle sharks and rays to maximise the animal’s chances of survival when released.
Take Action
Already signed?
Join us and call the Minister
simply follow the suggested script below
Hon. Tanya Plibersek
Federal Environment Minister
Ph: (02) 6277 7920
“Hello,
Thank you for taking my call, my name is (insert). I’d like to leave a message for the Minister about saving endangered sharks and rays in Australia from commercial fishing, including those unique to Australian waters.
I am horrified that it is still legal to fish for endangered and critically endangered species in Australian waters for the consumption of their meat and fins, both domestically and internationally.
Species unique to our waters like the critically endangered whitefin swellshark, critically endangered Australian longnose skate, and endangered greeneye spurdog can still be fished for their meat in our southern waters. There must be fishing rules in place to protect these species from being fished and sold.
The Australian Government has committed to ‘no new extinctions’ and to achieve this for sharks and rays we urge you to implement and support the following across Australian fisheries:
- Protect critical habitats from fishing
- Protect threatened species as ‘no take’ species under law
- Implement regular and robust scientific observer programs, including 100% electronic monitoring (i.e. cameras) on all vessels.
- Improve Bycatch Reduction Devices (‘escape hatches’) to minimise the catch of threatened species in the first place.
- Accurately report all species of shark and ray caught and released.
Improving the environmental performance in these fisheries is critical, not just for our sharks and rays, but for all of Australia’s ocean wildlife.
Thank you for your time.
Become a Shark Champion today.
Join us and over 60,000 Shark Champions in tackling the issues sharks and rays are currently facing in Australian waters. Be a voice for precious marine life by calling on our elected leaders to give our endangered sharks and rays the protections they desperately need.
When it comes to sharks, we are their biggest threat but also their only hope. Become a Shark Champion today.
