Viewing articles in Portfolio:

Healthy Oceans

Filter Articles

Queensland's shameful shark culling program challenged in court

Peter Whish-Wilson 30 Jan 2019
Healthy Oceans

Greens Healthy Oceans spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, has come out in support of a legal challenge to the Queensland Government’s “archaic and shameful” shark culling program in the Great Barrier Reef, the hearing for which will be held in Brisbane today. 

Humane Society International, represented by the Environmental Defenders Office NSW, is arguing that the shark control program is in conflict with the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority's responsibility to protect the reef, as the drum lines continue to kill sharks, turtles, rays and other marine life. 

Read more

New research shows alarming ocean warming

Peter Whish-Wilson 11 Jan 2019
Healthy Oceans

Greens Healthy Oceans spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, says dire research published today in the Science journal shows accelerated ocean warming and is yet another frightening wake-up call to the Morrison Government and big business to get serious about climate change and the harsh impact it is having on Australia’s oceans.

 

Read more

2018 in Review

Peter Whish-Wilson 21 Dec 2018
Treasury & Finance
Peace & Disarmament (covers Defence)
Healthy Oceans
Waste and Recycling

There were 15 Senate sitting weeks and 4 weeks of Senate Estimates in parliament in 2018. During the year the Greens have initiated some important Senate Inquiries and participated in many others. The Greens-initiated waste and recycling inquiry report was tabled in June 2018. I made five adjournment speeches, delivered 98 speeches on bills, moved 24 motions (12 of which passed successfully), delivered five Matters of Public Importance speeches and asked 13 questions without notice during Question Time.

Read more

Australia must stand up to Japan's rogue decision to leave the IWC

Peter Whish-Wilson 20 Dec 2018
Healthy Oceans

Greens Healthy Oceans spokesperson, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, is calling on Australia to put urgent diplomatic pressure on Japan after Japanese Government sources revealed they will withdraw from the International Whaling Commission in a bid to resume commercial whaling. 

 

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “This will be an extraordinary rogue move by Japan that slaps the rest of the international community, who actually uphold a strong commitment to rules-based international order, in the face. 

 

Read more

Farewell and thank you to Sea Shepherd's MY Steve Irwin

Peter Whish-Wilson 3 Dec 2018
Healthy Oceans

Australian Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, has paid tribute to Sea Shepherd’s flagship the MY Steve Irwin, following its retirement, announced today after a decade of defending the oceans.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “I am sure I speak for the vast majority of Australians when I say thank you to Sea Shepherd and the Steve Irwin for defending our oceans and the animals that live in it.

Read more

Statement from the Greens on Ian Kiernan

Peter Whish-Wilson 17 Oct 2018
Environment & Water
Healthy Oceans
Waste and Recycling

The Greens Senator for Healthy Oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, provides the following comments on the passing of Ian Kiernan.

Senator Whish-Wilson said, “Ian Kiernan was a giant of the environment movement. He used the profile he had gained from his yachting success as a platform to fight for the environment. We all found his love of the ocean an inspiration.

“As founder of Clean Up Australia he rallied the Australian community and then went on to rally the world against plastic pollution.

Read more

Killing sharks might help some politicians sleep at night, but it will not stop shark interactions

Peter Whish-Wilson 25 Sep 2018
Healthy Oceans

Australian Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, has joined animal rights groups in criticising the Queensland Government's response to two recent shark bites.

"I've been a long-standing critic of the Queensland Government's attitude towards shark culling. My own state of Tasmania has a very different approach to shark interactions.

Read more

The slippery slope of Marine Park destruction

Peter Whish-Wilson 18 Sep 2018
Healthy Oceans

The Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, has highlighted the NSW Government’s decision to remove protections from the Sydney Marine Park as evidence that recent federal government marine park downgrades have started a stampede for states to cut marine protections.
“This slippery slope for our oceans stems from the federal liberal government gutting federal marine protected areas, supporting the interests of a few big fishing and big oil companies over good science and sustainable environmental outcomes.

Great Barrier Reef
Read more

Dumping of naval vessel in Skeleton Bay still has a long way to go for environmental approvals

Peter Whish-Wilson 19 Aug 2018
Healthy Oceans

Australian Greens spokesperson for Healthy Oceans, Senator Peter Whish-Wilson, warns advocates for the sinking of a naval vessel in Skeleton Bay not to get ahead of themselves with it likely that the environmental approval process still has years to run. Senator Whish-Wilson has sought and received confirmation that no approvals have been applied for yet under the Dumping at Sea Act or the EPBC Act at this stage.

Read more