Sea Country
Sea Country is more than a place on a map, it's home, identity and livelihood. It carries songlines, feeds families, guides whales, turtles, dugongs and connects Island Nations across generations.
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 the Seas 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.
What is Sea Country & why it matters?
Sea Country includes nearshore waters, the seabed, reefs, islands, currents, and the skies above, all interconnected with people, culture, and custodianship.
There are many names for the places we live and call home. In Australia, First Nations people call it Sea Country.
What threatens our Seas?
Fossil fuel industrialisation is an immediate threat.
For coastal peoples, the Sea is home, yet it is increasingly placed under pressure by decisions made by governments without consultation.​​
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Communities should be consulted about activities that may impact them.
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Free prior and informed consent (FPIC) prior to approvals of offshore fossil fuel industrialisation
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Environmental impact assessments should be conducted and include transboundary impacts in semi-enclosed seas.
"Under what grounds would governments not approve a project, under what grounds would a bank not finance a project, under what grounds would a fossil fuel company not proceed with a project?
What will they say yes to protecting?"
- Antonia Burke