Tooni Mahto, Campaign Manager, Fisheries and Threatened Species of Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) has sent the following email message to members:
"Did you know that rare Australian snubfin dolphins are killed each year in our tropical fisheries? Right now, our Environment Minister Melissa Price is working out new environmental rules for these fisheries - which only happens once every three years. We must urge her to ensure our marine wildlife is protected. She needs to hear it from you."
"Our World Heritage Great Barrier Reef is a precious jewel. It’s one of the most spectacular places on earth and home to beautiful, fragile sea life. To its west lies the Gulf of Carpentaria, with unique coral reefs and local groups of turtles and dolphins."
"But damaging gillnet fisheries operate in these waters. Gillnets are invisible to marine life. They are set underwater to catch fish that swim past, but they also catch our most loved and vulnerable sea life."
"Our threatened dolphins, dugongs and turtles swim into the nets and become entangled and trapped. After struggling to reach the surface for air, they eventually drown."
"Our threatened sharks are caught too, deliberately targeted for their fins and flesh. Yet sharks are crucial to healthy oceans, particularly coral reefs."
"Decades of an ‘out of sight, out of mind’ approach means our Great Barrier Reef and Gulf waters are being fished with nets that indiscriminately kill all in their path. This is entirely preventable. These waters need world class fisheries that don’t harm our threatened sea life, but they’re light years away from meeting this standard."
"The good news is, you have the power to change this. Right now, our environment minister is reviewing the impacts of these fisheries."
"Fisheries in Australia must meet certain environmental standards to be accredited for export to global markets. The Environment Minister can require improvements to get this accreditation. This only happens once every three years - and Minister Price is considering it right now."
"This is our chance to secure strong, new rules that stop the death of our tropical marine life in gillnets."
"Urge the Minister to make it happen by calling her office now. It won’t take long and has a huge impact on decision makers.
Here’s how:
Call the Minister’s office - you don’t have to be an expert to make the call. You just have to show you care. Use our handy talking points to guide your call: https://amcs.good.do/saveoursnubfins/call/
Tell her that you don’t accept these fisheries killing our rare and unique sea life in the Reef and the Gulf.
Fellow Australian steemians please do your part. Please call your Environment Minister Melissa Price and help her make a decision to make sure our dolphins, turtles and sharks are protected from harm.
Content and image source credit: Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS)