Chance to save Tassie's native oyster reefs, giant kelp forests and depleted flathead stocks

Marine biologist Dr Chris Gillies is reaching out to chefs, restaurants and seafood consumers to participate in a program that would aim to return two fish to the sea for every fish cooked, sold or consumed.

The program OneFishTwoFish gathers annual subscriptions that would then fund ocean conservation projects to improve fish populations and their habitats, across Australia and in Tasmania

Dr Gillies has earmarked three possible projects in Tasmania that subscriptions could help finance.

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This includes restoring the native oyster reefs of the Australian Flat Oyster that were once found in the Tamar River and across coastlines on the North East and North West, restoring the giant kelp forests of Eastern Tasmania, and restocking the now depleted stocks of the Southern Sand Flathead.

"OneFishTwoFish helps seafood restaurants, businesses, retailers and consumers balance their seafood consumption by replacing each fish they serve, sell or eat with two more in the ocean," Dr Gillies said.

"This solves an ethical dilemma for sustainability-conscious seafood consumers and provides a way to positively connect seafood consumption with ocean health," he said.

"The funds will help provide finance for third-party ocean conservation programs including seagrass and reef restoration, and fish restocking programs to measurably improve fish and marine life across Australia."

Dr Gillies said he wanted to start OneFishTwoFish to allow people to easily make sustainable choices around what seafood to eat.

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"You go down to the local fish shop and you're just not sure what is an ethical or sustainable choice," Dr Gillies said.

"We just wanted to create something that would result in actual positive outcomes for oceans, where you can actually see the really beautiful outcomes on the ground," he said.

"If we could have Tasmanians rally around OneFishTwoFish, and demonstrate support by joining the program, then that would allow us to provide the funds to start new projects such as restoring native shellfish reefs and restocking the flathead fishery."

Dr Gillies has undertaken previous conservation work with Tasmania's native oyster reefs and said bringing them back would bring numerous environmental benefits.

He said the reefs were once common in Tasmanian waters, and eaten as a food source by indigenous communities.

"Those reefs extended into places like the Tamar River, across the North East, and they were also found in the North West as well, but commercial fisheries in late 1800s pulled out hundreds of tonnes of the oysters by dredging and the reefs collapsed," Dr Gillies said.

"But you can put them back. You just need a critical mass, millions of oysters, to repopulate the reefs...and you also put down a whole lot of limestock rock which mimics hundreds of dead oyster shells that build up across the years. So you put the shellfish reefs down, and put the new oysters down on top of that."

Dr Gillies said oyster reefs can improve marine biodiversity, and can help to improve water quality.

"Oyster reefs are really important marine ecosystems that have been largely forgotten," Dr Gillies said.

"Oysters are absolutely amazing little animals. Not only do they taste delicious on your dinner plate, but they can filter up to 150 litres of water a day, they help protect coastlines from eroding, they are natural breakwaters and can harbour up to 200 other species of marine life."

Regarding a possible restocking project for the humble flathead, Dr Gillies said a fish hatchery was first needed in Tasmania.

"In practical terms, we would work with a fish hatchery where the adult fish would be taken to spawn in the hatchery. We would look after the baby fish, and then release those fish back into suitable habitats where the fish live, and they would eventually grow and turn into big fish that could naturally keep repopulating stocks," he said.

"Conservation aquaculture is a great way to rebuild those fish populations, such as the depleted flathead but also other threatened species.

"One of the best ways of re-creating healthy fish populations is to make sure young fish survive beyond their first few weeks of life, and we can do that by restoring the habitats that nurture fish and through targeted breeding programs."

Dr Gillies said OneFishTwoFish subscriptions can be bought by either individuals or businesses, and has foundation supporters including Taronga Zoo.

"We send individuals, couples and families who subscribe a certificate, information about sustainable seafood, seafood recipes, interviews with chefs, stories on the latest marine science and technology, and updates on the projects their subscriptions are supporting," said Dr Gillies.

"Business subscribers receive project images, videos and stories to use, marketing collateral, logo use and invitations to special events. We also provide them with access to our OneFishTwoFish sustainable seafood network that connects like-minded businesses and customers."

He said the program is supported by the Australian seafood industry, the Sydney Institute of Marine Science, universities, and OzFish Unlimited.

The program is already helping to return seagrass meadows to Cockburn Sound in Western Australia, kelp reefs throughout the Sydney metropolitan region, and returning two juvenile flounder or flathead for every one caught by fishers.

"We have an advisory committee that includes representatives from the seafood industry, marine conservation groups, the public service and business to ensure we're funding programs that meet or exceed global biodiversity offset standards," he said.

For more information on OneFishTwoFish visit Seafood Positive online.

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