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

National Marine NRM News 

October 2020 
Facebook
Twitter
Website
Instagram
In This Edition:
 

Featured

OceanWatch is an official nominator for the Earthshot Prize
OceanWatch Australia has been named an official Nominator for The Earthshot Prize, launched earlier this month.
The Earthshot Prize is the most prestigious global environment prize in history, incentivising worldwide change with a decade of action to repair our planet. The Prize will support the global effort to protect and restore the environment while also turning the current pessimism surrounding environmental issues into optimism, highlighting the ability of human ingenuity to bring about change.
The Earthshot Prize is centred around five ‘Earthshots’. Each is a simple but ambitious goal for our planet, which if achieved by 2030 will improve life for us all, and for generations to come.

Learn more.

Intern Position at OceanWatch
 
OceanWatch Australia is seeking a volunteer intern to work on our Tide to Tip program. The Tide to Tip program is a series of Australian oyster industry led clean-up events through which oysters farmers can lead and participate in clean-ups within and surrounding Australian waterways. The inaugural event in February 2020 involved over 270 oyster farmers from 22 oyster producing estuaries who removed 11.5 tonnes of waste from Australia’s waterways.

The role will be to assist in the organisation and planning of the 2021 Tide to Tip, with the opportunity to travel and take part in the events in Feb 2021. It will involve liaising with councils, oyster farmers and other interested groups to prepare for the events.  The time commitment is 1 day a week from November 2020 until the end of February 2021. The actual event will take place over the last 2 weeks of February where there will be the opportunity to commit more time to taking part in these events. Ideally the candidate will be based on the NSW coast however this is not required as the position is remote with the exception of the events themselves and occasional meetings with oyster farmers. Limited expenses will be covered.

If you are interested in this opportunity please send your resume to comms@oceanwatch.org.au (first aid certificate required). Closing date for applications is the 6th November.
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. 
More than 130 professional fisherman across NSW have participated in the program. The program is now expanding interstate and will initially focus on professional fisherman in SA.
Recognised OceanWatch Master Fisherman are continuing to raise the standard of responsible fishing in Australia. These fisherman showcase the drive for sustainability and environmental awareness in the Australian seafood industry.

Learn more.
Troy Ireland
 
Troy Ireland is the 6th generation of fishermen. He started fishing with his grand father and father when he was a young boy. He became a fisherman and bought his boat in 1992. He is based in the Hawkesbury River.
He is fishing on 'Loner, an estuary prawn trawler.
Troy is proud to be a recognised OceanWatch Master Fisherman, responsibly and sustainably harvesting local seafood for seafood consumers.

Learn more
Noel Bramble

Noel ‘Charlie’ Bramble is a 3rd generation fisherman. He is proud to be a professional fisherman since 1971. He is based in the  Wallis Lake region in the NSW Estuary General and Lobster fisheries.
Noel’s fresh catch is available at the Wallis Lake Fishermen’s Coop.
Noel is a recognised OceanWatch Master Fisherman, trained and experienced in responsible and sustainable fishing practices.

Get Involved
Tide to Tip 2021
In February 2020 over 270 Oyster Farmers across Australia came together to help combat the scourge of marine debris in our nation’s waterways for the inaugural ‘Tide to Tip’ events. Whilst many oyster farmers already participate in estuary clean-ups throughout the year, ‘Tide to Tip’ provided an opportunity to scale up the effort by combining industry effort across NSW and Interstate to collectively improve our nations waterways. 

Now it's time to start planning the 2021 event, for the next Tide to Tip we'd love to engage more oyster growers, and see more events across Australia's estuaries. If you are interested in getting involved please email siobhan@oceanwatch.org.au

OceanWatch can assist with the organisation of waste collection & disposal, provide rubbish bags, gloves etc. The model for a clean-up is easy to replicate, and local growers can decide if they want to run this as an industry only event, or partner with the local community or other local groups. The more growing regions we can get on board the better – it becomes a much better story, and one that demonstrates the value that the oyster industry places on a healthy environment.
AUSMAP Training Day
AUSMAP is a nationwide citizen science initiative for surveying shorelines to collect reliable data on the presence of microplastics in aquatic environments from coasts to catchments. AUSMAP has an upcoming training day on the Paramatta River. If you want to learn how to sample microplastics around the mangroves of an estuarine catchment area make sure you sign up for the event on November 27th at Kendall Bay, Kissing Point.

Get Involved.

In The News
Australian Government Invests $8 million in Restoring Fisheries Habitats
The Australian Government is investing $8 million in 28 projects across the country under the Fisheries Habitat Restoration Program to assist in restoring the health and functionality of coastal and estuarine fisheries habitats. The funding is being put towards projects across NSW, Tasmania, South Australia, Western Australia and Victoria. 

Find out more about the projects that were funded here. 
The Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2020 Finalists Announced
 
Earlier this month The Ocean Impact announced the 12 finalists of this years Pitchfest.  The finalists include: ARC Marine (UK), Coral Vita (The Bahamas), ECOncrete Tech (Israel), Ingine (South Korea), Orbital EOS (Spain), Planet Protector Packaging (Australia), PumpFree Energy (Australia), SafetyNet Technologies (UK), SharkSafe Barrier (South Africa), Urchinomics (The Netherlands), Water Warriors (USA), and Wave Swell Energy (Australia).

The winner will be announced on November 4th.
 
Australian seafood industry welcomes National System for Domestic Commercial Vessel Safety cost review delay
'Seafood Industry Australia (SIA), the national peak-body representing the Australian seafood industry, has welcomed the Federal Budget announcement of additional $11 million in funding in 2021‑22 for the National System for Domestic Commercial Vessel Safety from the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack.'- SIA
 
Fishery Status Reports 2020
The 2020 Fishery Status Reports were released this month, the reports provide an independent evaluation of the biological and economic status of fish stocks managed solely or jointly by the Australian Government. For the seventh year in a row none of Australia’s solely Commonwealth-managed fisheries have been subject to overfishing
 

Grants, Awards and Opportunities 

Sydney Fish Market Environmental Grant

The Sydney Fish Market Environmental Grant is now open. 
To recognise World Fisheries Day SFM is offering a grant of up to $10,000 for an individual or group of fishers/aquaculturists to adopt better environmental practices. Applications close 8th November. 

Learn more here.

NSW Environmental Trust: Environmental Education Grants

Grants of up to $250,000 for projects that develop knowledge and skills in protecting and restoring our environment. Applications for the 2020 round are now open, closing 3pm, Monday 16 November 2020.

Learn more here.
 

UTAS Science of Fishing online course

Science of Fishing is for everyone; from people wanting to develop their skills and knowledge in fishing, those looking to enhance their recreational fishing experience, to those looking to contribute to a sustainable fishery. 

Learn more here.


Get Listed on the Oyster Finder

To support NSW oyster sales during a difficult time for the seafood industry, an online directory of oyster farms & oyster retailers has been developed. The directory is available here.  This searchable map will help customers find oysters, users are able to filter their searches by: 
•    oyster farms
•    farms offering shed gate sales
•    those offering mail orders
•    those offering home delivery
•    those offering tourism experiences 
Get listed by entering your details here

Learn more here


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
 


Call for Proposals for NSW Litter Congress 2021

Proposals are now invited for panels, workshops, round tables, debates, presentations and other interactive formats for the 2021 Litter Congress.
With an emphasis on thoughtful and research-based methods of inquiry and with input from a range of sectors, the Litter Congress is the opportunity for individuals and groups involved in litter management, prevention and reduction to assemble to jointly tackle littering and behavior change in an interactive environment. Submissions close 11 December 2020.

Learn more here

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