In the high seas around Australia and Aotearoa, Greenpeace Australia Pacific disrupted a massive industrial longlining operation. Over the course of several hours, our team confiscated almost 20 kilometres of deadly longline fishing gear out of the water, freeing nine sharks, including an endangered longfin mako.

Devastatingly, one third of sharks worldwide are endangered, and two thirds of those endangered are at risk of extinction from overfishing. Sharks are vital to marine ecosystems, and, tragically, 100 million are killed each year. Imagine every person in Australia killing four sharks each year.

Longliner documentation in the South Pacific Ocean. © Paul Hilton / Greenpeace

Less than 3 percent of the ocean is under protection. Our global ocean mission is to protect 30% of the Earth’s oceans by 2030. 

BREAKING NEWS: After over two decades of tireless campaigning, the Global Oceans Treaty has come into force. Now ratified by sixty countries, it enables the creation of marine sanctuaries. At Greenpeace Australia Pacific, we’re aiming high — we want one of the very first sanctuaries to be established in the Tasman Sea.

We saved sharks and captured videos that moved hearts and minds 

“Watching the sharks swim away free was the single most powerful moment in my six years of my career with Greenpeace”

Sarah Methven, Greenpeace Oceans Campaigner

After we left the Marshall Islands in June earlier this year, we headed into the Tasman Sea as part of our worldwide campaign efforts to create ocean sanctuaries.

We are putting pressure on Australian Environment Minister Murray Watt to ratify the Global Ocean Treaty like he has promised. This will be a huge victory for our marine life, and one that is only made possible because of people like you.  

The Global Ocean Treaty is one of the most important international conservation agreements in history, and the first focused on conserving marine life on the High Seas.

We can only keep our ships sailing on the high seas because of your support. Thanks to people like you, we are able to bear witness in some of the most remote corners of the globe, safeguarding our oceans’ future.