Protecting the Sea by empowering coastal communities with knowledge and tools, amplifying their stories, and building powerful connections that safeguard biodiversity, culture, livelihoods and survival.
Sea Country is the web of life that connects coasts, reefs, deep waters and the communities who care for them.
It sustains marine biodiversity, healthy fisheries and local economies, and holds stories and songlines that have travelled across oceans for millennia. Protecting Sea Country means safeguarding migration routes, spawning grounds and seagrass meadows, as well as the food security, culture and wellbeing of coastal peoples.
Through community education, cross‑border cooperation and practical tools, we help Island Nations and coastal communities understand their rights, access information, and take part in decisions that affect their seas.
Sea Country is more than a place on a map — it’s home, identity and livelihood. It carries songlines, feeds families, guides whales and turtles, and connects Island Nations across generations.
Connecting Coastal Communities who share the Seas.
We protect, empower, and enhance sustainable livelihoods in coastal communities that depend on the health and biodiversity of the sea.
On 5th December 2024, then Australian Federal Government Minister for the Environment, Tanya Plibersek MP, speaking as the host minister, remarked: “The Arafura and Timor Seas hold globally significant marine biodiversity, including 600 species of reef-building corals, 2,500 species of marine fish, and what many experts consider to be the most important area in the world for dugong habitat.
The Ministerial Declaration we are signing today formalises our commitment to work together to ensure the rich coastal and marine resources of this region continue to provide essential resources and food security.” She further emphasised Australia’s contributions, including efforts to protect migratory and threatened species.