Oceans
Marine sanctuaries are needed to protect Australia's unique marine life. They provide a safe haven for commercial fish stocks as well as endangered species and offer alternative sources of income for local people, such as tourism. Marine parks act as an insurance policy for the future both for marine life and local people.
In Australia, WWF is focusing on helping to establish a world class network of sanctuaries around Australia to ensure threatened marine life is protected and fish stocks recover from threats such as over fishing.
As part of this commitment WWF-Australia has joined Save Our Marine Life, a collaboration of global national and state-based environmental organisations to help secure the future of Australia's south west marine environment.
This globally significant region is home to a far great proportion of unique marine life than the Great Barrier Reef and yet less than 1% of it is protected.
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Save Our Marine Life brings community, science and good public policy together to assist the Australian Government in establishing a network of large no-take marine sanctuaries.
To find out more about the Save our Marine Life collaboration and its case for protecting Western Australia's big blue backyard go to Save Our Marine Life.
We are also focused on improving water quality from land based pollution for the Great Barrier Reef. WWF achieved a milestone with the expansion, by 9.9 million hectares, of 'green zones' in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park. As well as actively campaigning on sustainable fishing, marine turtle protection and the protection of the gentle giants of the ocean - whales.
For many years, we've worked to increase protection of the spectacular Ningaloo Reef which culminated in the West Australian Government increasing sanctuary zones along the Ningaloo Coast from 10 to 34 percent.
Australia's Coral Sea, near the Great Barrier Reef, is one of the last remaining tropical wilderness areas in the world. But this majestic "Serengeti of the Sea" faces an uncertain future.
WWF wants the Australian Government to declare the Coral Sea a "Marine Protected Area", to safeguard this underwater sanctuary for future generations.
But we need your help! Join WWF's campaign to Save the Coral Sea by signing the petition and donating to our Coral Sea appeal.
Recent Oceans News
Conservation Priorities for Western Australia
The next Government of Western Australia has the opportunity and responsibility to secure some of Australia's most important biodiversity assets and ecosystem services. It is far cheaper to maintain our natural systems than it is to attempt to restore them. WWF has identified its priority conservation issues for Western Australia, and how these can be best addressed by the next Government.
Continue reading 'Conservation Priorities for Western Australia'
WWF calls on Qld Government to close loopholes in wetland laws
Up to 90 per cent of wetlands along Queensland's Great Barrier Reef coast have been lost to development, posing a huge threat to the State's multi-million dollar seafood and tourism industries, WWF warned ahead of World Wetlands Day tomorrow.
Australia ignores threatened sharks in the name of sport
Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett has decided to change the law so Australia can avoid its international obligations and allow threatened sharks to be caught and killed in our waters. This follows lobbying from recreational fishing and charter boat operators, WWF-Australia and TRAFFIC warned today.
Submissions reveal sloppy practices in sensitive areas
Nearly 200 submissions to the Montara Commission of Inquiry have been made public overnight, revealing regulatory breaches, missing safety equipment and a grossly inadequate response to the environmental impacts of one of Australia's biggest oil spills.
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