From the Tide to Table OceanWatch Australia

OceanWatch Australia's Tide to Table program was established in 2004 to reinforce the message that actions on land affect our waterways and estuaries, which in turn affects the quality and kind of seafood that is presented on our dinner table. OceanWatch Australia has recently established a new Tide to Table position in Moreton Bay, QLD which focuses on providing opportunities for community, industry and agency participation and collaboration in on-ground solutions to improve water quality and fish habitat. The Tide to Table program's success is due to its ability to involve local farmers, seafood producers, businesses, communities and government agencies in a common cause; to rehabilitate a river system or estuary and improve its water quality, fish and seafood habitat and rebuild the health of the immediate environment. All marine life needs healthy rivers and estuaries including saltmarsh, mangroves and seagrass, to thrive, breed and shelter. Water quality is critical in fish and shellfish harvest areas for the supply of sustainable crabs, prawns and other seafood. Tide to Table focuses on involving local people, including the seafood industry in Natural Resource Management. Depending on the objective a market based approach is applied to deliver funding on-ground using local groups. Just as important are a range of behavior change activities that are undertaken to communicate the messages behind the on-ground work. So far OceanWatch Australia has run 12 successful Tide to Table programs in New South Wales and 4 programs in Queensland.