Coral Sea Champions

Our campaign is very proud to have the support of the following Coral Sea Champions.

Robert StrachanRobert Strachan

Protecting something the size of the Coral Sea for future generations can seem an overwhelming, impossible and controversial task when you first consider it.  But when you stop and think about the alternative, of leaving the future with a seriously degraded marine environment, one has to come to the conclusion that something significant must be done to try and keep as much of the Coral Sea healthy and alive with all the incredible diversity which provides and inspires and nurtures us all on so many levels, even those who have never seen it.
Robert Strachan is a marine artist based in North Queensland.  Visit http://rstrachan.com.au/ to see examples of Robert's amazing work.

Daniel Pearce

Who doesn't love the ocean? The feeling you get when you jump in the ocean and feel all of the troubles and stresses of the world wash away as you are submersed in the great unknown... Growing up by the sea and spending so many countless hours watching the unpredictable movements of the water is something that is irreplaceable and something I will have with me forever.

The ocean gives us so much for nothing and in return, we need to start giving more back. Something as simple as taking a single piece of rubbish off the beach when you leave is a good start. We need to protect our seas and the creatures that live in it so that we and future generations can all continue to enjoy its natural beauty.

I'll be spreading the good word of The Protect Our Coral Sea Campaign to all like minded ocean lovers: Save our fish - Sign the Pettish!

Daniel Pearce - ocean athlete, surfer, swimmer, just a regular guy who loves the ocean.

David HannanDavid Hannan

"In the last 50 years we’ve lost over 50% of the world’s coral reefs and many of the remainder are stressed and dying. But right now we have a priceless opportunity to protect one of the world’s healthiest and largest tropical coral reef areas and to try to properly safeguard it for future generations.  The Swain’s Reefs complex in the Coral Sea occupies an area of over 10,000 square miles. Lihou Reef in the Coral Sea is 500 miles offshore and has a lagoon that is over 50 miles wide and rimmed by sandy cays that provide nesting grounds for immense numbers of seabirds and turtles.  The amount and variety of marine life that lives on Coral Sea reefs like these, is staggering, but it is also both precious and vulnerable. Many species found in the Coral Sea are critically endangered elsewhere. The Coral Sea needs your protection."

David Hannan is a cinematographer and producer who has won international acclaim for his marine imagery. Visit http://coralseadreaming.com for more information about David's latest masterpiece, Coral Sea Dreaming - Awaken.

Dr Colin HuntDr Colin Hunt

 

Dr Colin Hunt, a lecturer in Fisheries Management at the University of Queensland. map of members in the Western and Central Fisheries CommissionIn the Pacific Ocean to the north and west of Australia – the Western and Central Pacific – expansion of tuna fishing is taking place even though yellowfin tuna and bigeye tuna are subject to overfishing. While Australia is a member of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (see map), which is charged with managing the fish stocks in this region, management has been ineffective and Australia is in practice powerless to reduce the level of tuna fishing to sustainable levels.  Also out of control is the level of bycatch of swordfish, marlin and sharks – particularly the blue shark in the tuna longline fisheries that catch tuna for the Japanese fresh markets. There are no population estimates for blue shark and catches are unreported. There is concern over the removal of such large numbers of this likely keystone predator from the oceanic ecosystem. Protection of the Coral Sea will provide a valuable haven for fish of the South West Pacific, as well as adding to the value of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

Lucy Trippett

"There are so few areas where sea creatures can swim safely. Pelagic fish traversing the Coral Sea, on the way to their spawning grounds, are scooped up in nets or caught by long-liners; and with them, the next generation is also harvested. All animals have a right to a refuge and they also need sanctuaries to survive as a species. Protecting the Coral Sea would provide such a refuge. Humans need fish to survive. We need to do this for the fish and for us."

Lucy Trippett wears many hats; an environmental scientist, diver, photographer, and writer, among many others. Some of her photos are exhibited on our website here.

Colin Le Breton

"How many times throughout  life  have you heard the saying “do you remember when”, referring to lost opportunities no longer available to our children and their children in the foreseeable future. There is no mystery, no hard science required to justify protection of the Coral Sea, just facts that support your quest for a marine conservation zone to be established now."

Colin is the National Sales Manager for Tweed Bait in NSW.

Elizabeth Long

"As a young scientist, I am well aware of the challenges that our planet and therefore ourselves, face in the near future. Climate change and the other impacts caused by our exploding population are terrifying. Our ocean is the great driver of Earth's climate and chemistry, yet less than 0.1% is highly protected; endangering many marine ecosystems around the world. Marine parks protect the integrity of the ecosystems, provide refuge for endangered species, and are an important component of sustainable fisheries. Australia has a wonderful opportunity to protect one of the most beautiful and diverse aquatic ecosystems, the Coral Sea, and Australians should be fighting to do so."

Elizabeth Long, Young Scientists of Australia, Brisbane Chapter Inc.

Tania Rose

"There is a fine balance in life on Earth. Symbiotic relationships ebb and flow in a harmonic symphony. Relationships change and grow over time, and new roles emerge, such as humanity’s relatively new role as Caretaker of The Earth.

Though we would like to take our time to get to know what is expected of us in this new undertaking, time is running out. As our oceans perish, the world as we know it will change so dramatically, that mankind may miss a fundamental opportunity to rise up and forge it’s greatest feat…preserving our home. As we take steps towards marine preservation, we speak less of fear of the unknown, and more of a brighter future."

Tania is an amazing music composer who wrote the music for Coral Sea Dreaming: Awaken.

Sara McCafferty

"In my 20's I worked on the trawlers on the east coast, I've also worked in the Gulf of Carpentaria. Never again would I do this after seeing the broader impacts of such large scale fishing practices on our fragile marine environment. I have witnessed sharks being stabbed, a dead dolphin being pulled on board, stingray tails being broken off, turtles caught in nets and other horrific acts I had no control over. As someone who has worked in the ocean I fully support the protection of Australia's Coral Sea in a very large marine national park and believe that we have a responsibility to have large areas that are free from fishing. If we won’t protect it, who will?"