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While the Australian Marine Conservation Society has welcomed Senator Murray Watt as the new Minister for the Environment and Julie Collins' return as Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, AMCS is urging both to take decisive action to protect Australia’s oceans.

AMCS Chief Executive, Paul Gamblin shared “we congratulate Senator Watt on his appointment to the environment portfolio at a critical moment for nature in Australia. The Albanese Government has made important progress on marine protection, but has also made decisions - like weakening the EPBC Act for the salmon industry - that undermine trust.

“Now is the moment to reset the course with strong, modern nature laws that truly match the scale of the crisis and restore integrity to environmental decision-making.”

“New environment laws must be prioritised without delay, with the environmental movement ready and waiting to support a bold package that puts protection and restoration at the heart of decision-making.

“We’ve seen mass coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef and Ningaloo this year. Climate change is lighting underwater bushfires around the country making nature law reform even more urgent.”

One of the first major tests for the new Minister will be the decision on Woodside’s proposed North West Shelf extension, due by the end of May.

Gamblin advised “this project’s huge climate pollution footprint and reliance on developing the Browse gas fields around the spectacular Scott Reef are totally inconsistent with ocean protection. We can’t keep approving fossil fuel projects and expect to have healthy oceans. The science is clear: to protect our reefs and marine life, we must stop making the problem worse.

“We also congratulate Minister Collins on her reappointment to the important fisheries portfolio. AMCS will be calling on the Minister as one of her first tasks to urgently release and implement a seafood import control framework to strengthen the traceability, transparency and labelling of all imported seafood and align Australia with seafood import controls already adopted by other major market states, building on the important work started last term.

Australia’s commercial fisheries operate in some of the most biodiverse waters on the planet, home to globally significant populations of threatened and protected species.

Gamblin added “Minister Collins will also have an important role to deliver sustainable Commonwealth-managed fisheries and lasting protection for Australia’s oceans and the wildlife, and the many jobs that depend on healthy ocean ecosystems for future generations.

“Australians care deeply about our oceans. From protecting marine wildlife to restoring reefs and ending overfishing, we have a clear agenda for action — and we’re ready to work with the government to deliver it.”

As a strictly non-partisan organisation, AMCS wrote to all political parties and key independent MPs, setting out the priorities the next Australian Government must deliver on. These priorities are detailed in the Ocean Agenda 2025.

• Stop extinctions – protect and restore marine life
• Safeguard unique ocean ecosystems
• Act on climate and stop fossil fuel expansion
• Invest in the future – fund nature protection and restoration
• Lead in global ocean conservation

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