Australian Marine Conservation Society

🦈✨ Fantastical sharks and where to find them? At the Australian Museum! To help protect endangered and lesser-known species that many people aren’t aware exist, we invited children to use their imagination to bring these mysterious creatures to life. 🎨 From green eyes to bellies that glow, over 1,500 children turned scientific descriptions into fantastical artworks. The top 10 were selected by Australia’s most iconic artists and used as inspiration for their own masterpieces. These species include some of the world’s most endangered, threatened by overfishing. We are their biggest threat, but also their only hope. Fantastical Sharks and Rays is a free exhibition and open until 8 December 2024. . . 📣 Want to help save Australia’s fantastical sharks and rays? Sign the petition: Stop the Silent Extinction Crisis Beneath the Waves 👇 https://bit.ly/47uoPLI With thanks to Shark Conservation Fund, Innocean Australia and Arts Matter. In partnership with Humane Society International Australia.

🪧 Our billboards are out in PM Albanese’s electorate in Sydney today! The message is clear: Prime Minister, don’t bow to greedy corporations. We need strong nature laws now!

⭐ Creature Feature ⭐ Australian sea lions are a type of pinniped (seals, sea lions and walruses) that are only found on our shores 🦭 Australian sea lion numbers have fallen by over 60% in four decades and the species is listed as ‘endangered’. Currently, the biggest threat to Australia sea lion colonies are gillnets used in commercial fishing. 📷 We need cameras on boats to get an accurate picture of what our fisheries are catching. 📣 Add your name to our petition calling on Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to ensure that all of Australia’s highest-risk fisheries are independently monitored in their fishing operations ⬇️ https://bit.ly/4geULrF

⏳📞 Nature needs your voice now! Join us in making a call TODAY to tell the Government not to bow to mining lobby pressure and weaken nature laws. The crucial nature reforms being debated in Parliament tomorrow could be the difference between life and extinction for threatened marine species like the Maugean skate. While mining interests lobby the PM to strike a deal with the Coalition that would gut the proposed Environment Protection Agency, the cross-bench and the Greens are proposing a positive pathway to deliver a strong outcome for nature. The PM’s team need to hear from you today so they know the community expects them to resist the pressure from industry and make the right decision for nature. Join the AMCS crew and ocean-lovers across Australia and take two minutes to have your voice heard for nature. ➡️ Swipe for the talking points and who to call, all you need to do is dial 📲

Our ocean film nights along the NSW coast start this week! 🎞️🌊🐠 Tickets are free, but some events have already filled up. If you're an ocean lover on the NSW coast, find the event near you to RSVP now 👇 COFFS HARBOUR 🕖 6:30 PM, Tuesday 17th September 📍 Jetty Memorial Theatre, Coffs Harbour 🎫 RSVP: https://bit.ly/47qf7Kz MONA VALE (Northern Sydney) 🕖 7:00 PM, Wednesday 18th September 📍 Mona Vale Surf Life Saving Club Inc 🎫 RSVP: https://bit.ly/47uUg8N SOUTHERN SYDNEY 🕖 7:00 PM, Thursday 19th September 📍 Theatrette, Hazelhurst Arts Centre, Gymea 🎫 RSVP: https://bit.ly/47vwMQP BONDI (Eastern Sydney) 🕖 7:00 PM, Friday 20th September 📍 Bondi Pavilion 🎫 Join the waitlist: https://bit.ly/47q81Wp NAROOMA 🕖 6:00 PM, Saturday 21st September 📍 Narooma Surf Club 🎫 RSVP: https://bit.ly/3Xtot3n MERIMBULA 🕖 6:30 PM, Monday 23rd September 📍 Club Sapphire, Merimbula 🎫 RSVP: https://bit.ly/47tFMGg WOLLONGONG 🕖 6:30 PM, Tuesday 24th September 📍 Clifton School of Arts 🎫 RSVP: https://bit.ly/4d7g2k8 JERVIS BAY 🕖 6:30 PM, Wednesday 25th September 📍 Jervis Bay Brewing Co., Huskisson 🎫 Join the waitlist: https://bit.ly/3zsAUEE TERRIGAL (Central Coast) 🕖 6:30 PM, Saturday 28th September 📍 Central Coast Marine Discovery Centre (CCMDC), Terrigal 🎫 RSVP: https://bit.ly/3B7L91S If an event's registration is full, make sure you sign up to the waitlist to get notified if someone can no longer make it!

🔦 Artist Spotlight: Jennifer Turpin 🦈Species: Whitefin swellshark Fantastical Sharks & Rays is now OPEN at the Australian Museum ✨ 1,500 young artists transformed scientific descriptions of Australia's unique sharks and rays into artworks, with the top 10 chosen by iconic Australian artists as inspiration for their own masterpieces. 🖌️ Artist Jennifer Turpin selected 4-year-old Inara Wilson’s depiction of a Whitefin swellshark. . . Whitefin swellsharks are critically endangered. Despite the danger they’re in, it’s still legal for commercial fishers to catch them, and they can be sold as ‘flake’ in fish and chip shops. 📣 Want to help save Australia’s fantastical sharks and rays? Sign the petition: Stop the Silent Extinction Crisis Beneath the Waves 🔗 https://bit.ly/4cGC9xK . . With thanks to Shark Conservation Fund (SCF). Humane Society International | Australia

⏰⚠️URGENT! Nature laws could be weakened within days if the Federal Government bows to pressure from the mining lobby and cuts a deal with the Coalition ⚠️ 📞 We need to act NOW: make a call to Cabinet Ministers and MPs in PM Albanese’s inner circle to demand the Government make the right decision for nature - it only takes 2 minutes! (➡️ swipe for talking points & demos from our team on how easy it is to make your call) Australia’s broken nature laws are being negotiated right now. Our oceans and wildlife need the strongest possible Environment Protection Agency (EPA) to crack down on environmental wrongdoing, backed with new legislation to protect and restore nature. The Albanese Government promised to fix nature laws, but right now they are under immense pressure from mining lobbyists to gut their planned reforms. This could be the death blow for the critically endangered Maugean skate and other threatened species. Government Cabinet Ministers need to hear from you today and Monday when they're in their offices so they know the community expects them to resist the pressure from industry and make the right decision for nature. STAND UP FOR STRONG NATURE LAWS 👇 📱 Make your call now (leave a message if it’s out of office hours) 📷 Take a photo or video of your call (only record your side) 🏷️ Post and tag Australian Labor (e.g. @australianlabor on Instagram) Bonus: leave a comment on @australianlabor

A headline from earlier this month on the factory trawler that was targeting endangered orange roughy off Tasmania's east coast! Orange roughy live on coral-covered underwater mountains called seamounts. The deep sea trawl nets used to target orange roughy also cause devastating damage to the ancient cold water corals on the seamounts, and entire reefs have been destroyed. Background image: Endangered orange roughy fished in Australian waters. Image via CSIRO.

📽️ This week, Dhimurru Rangers travelled from North East Arnhem Land to Canberra to call on the Australian Government to take more action to stop plastic pollution that’s piling up on their land and sea Country. While in Canberra, the Rangers met with Members of Parliament to share their experiences in having to clean up tonnes of plastic waste and fishing nets. AMCS and Keep Top End Coasts Healthy are pleased to support Dhimurru Rangers in advocating for stronger action on plastic pollution that will help heal Country.

A big thank you to the tens of thousands of people who supported stronger marine sanctuaries to protect Heard & McDonald Islands marine life! 🐧🌋❄️ The government will now assess the community feedback. After that, the environment minister will make an announcement on the future of the marine park. You can help influence the government's decision by using our quick online form to send a message to your local MP: https://bit.ly/4e9OVGa 👈 📷 A Sub-Antarctic female elephant seal. Image by Matt Curnock.