Watch this clip from David Attenborough to see the impacts of bottom trawling:

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the world’s most extraordinary living ecosystems. It is a global treasure and a responsibility we hold for future generations. It is home to turtles, rays, dugongs, and thousands of fish species. It is also a place of deep cultural, environmental and economic significance for Australia. 

But a hidden pressure remains: commercial trawling. While the Reef faces severe stress from climate change and coral bleaching, industrial-scale trawling is still permitted within certain areas of the Marine Park — a practice that is increasingly difficult to justify in a World Heritage area.

 Trawlers use weighted nets to sweep along the ocean floor, capturing any creature that strays into the path of the net. Much of what they catch is not the target species, and is discarded, often injured or dead. This bycatch often makes up a substantial amount of the trawler’s catch. Trawlers also disturb the sediment on the ocean floor. Research suggests that this can release carbon stored there, with some of it potentially reaching our atmosphere as CO₂, contributing to global warming. 

We are not asking for an overnight shutdown. We are asking the Australian and Queensland governments to commit to a clear end date for commercial trawling in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, reduce trawling over time, and fairly support the fishers and regional communities affected by the change. 

The Reef is already under immense pressure from acidified and warming seas. In this context, every avoidable pressure should be reduced. While global action is needed for the climate, a phase-out of trawling is a "no-regrets" action we can take right now to help protect the reef.

Our Request

We call on the Australian and Queensland Governments to:

1. Commit to a staged phase-out of commercial trawling from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park by 2030
2. Fairly support affected fishers and regional communities to ensure no one is left behind.

This is not a call to end all fishing, nor is it a call to abandon regional workers. A fair transition is possible. We must support our fishing communities through a planned exit from the Marine Park that prioritises the long-term health of the Reef over continued industrial extraction.

Please sign this petition to demand a cleaner, more sustainable future for the Great Barrier Reef.