Keep Top End Coasts Healthy

Keep Top End Coasts Healthy Healthy coasts and rivers are central to our Top End way of life, economic success, and our culture. Our coasts are at the heart of our Top End lifestyle.
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They are central to our economic success and our culture; keeping them healthy ensures our Territory lifestyle, fishing and tourism thrive into the future. For Indigenous people, all aspects of life are intimately connected to the health of their coastal lands and seas. The Territory is famous for fishing, boating and camping thanks largely to our healthy rivers and coasts, teeming with fish and w

ildlife. But our coasts are under threat and we are seeing signs of decline. It’s time to put the Plan to protect our Top End coasts into action, to help recover our Top End economy and safeguard our fishing, culture and lifestyle.

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This page is part of an online community where Top End supporters of our work to protect Australia’s ocean wildlife can interact. The page is open to anyone who wants to be part of our online community – people with a passion for protecting Australia’s oceans and a concern for its future, their friends or family, and anyone else who wants to see a healthy future for our oceans. The page is a place where you can find the latest information about our Top End Sea Life campaign, share your stories, thoughts and ideas and show your support for our work. We encourage everyone to leave comments, ask questions, add photos and videos, and be an active member of the Top End Sea Life community. Open and lively conversation is welcome – here are a few simple rules to make sure it’s an enjoyable, safe place for everyone:

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June 8 is World Oceans Day. Join us in a celebration of Territory coasts at the Ocean Film Festival Australia at Deckcha...
06/06/2026

June 8 is World Oceans Day.

Join us in a celebration of Territory coasts at the Ocean Film Festival Australia at Deckchair Cinema on June 16 and June 17 - get your tickets now as it will sell out!

For Territorians, the ocean isn't a once-a-year holiday. Our coasts are at the heart of our Top End lifestyle: - chasing barra at run-off, manta rays at Nightcliff Jetty, dugongs, sawfish and turtles living right on our doorstep. Few places on Earth can say that.

Our coasts are still relatively healthy, but they are under more pressure than ever before and we are seeing signs of decline. Let's stand together for what makes this place special.

05/06/2026

"Garramilla, for our Nimeybirr" is heading to the big screen at the Deckchair Cinema. In this short film, Mary Williams, a proud Larrakia, Tiwi and Iwadja woman, shares what Darwin Harbour means to her family, her ancestors and her community, and her hope that her grandchildren will grow up knowing its dugongs, turtles and healthy mangroves. Short film by Nicholas Parry Photography

02/06/2026

"Where the Birds Still Sing" is heading to the big screen. Dr Amanda Lilleyman and Dr Ben Hoffman guide us through Darwin Harbour's saltmarshes and tidal flats, including Middle Arm, home to up to 100 bird species a day. A reminder of why these wetlands, and the Top End, are worth protecting.

See it on the big screen and under the stars at Deckchair Cinema on Tuesday 9 June, screening before the feature film "The North" - two estranged friends reunite to hike Scotland's Highlands, confronting hard truths about themselves and their friendship. Book your tickets now.

27/05/2026

"Anchored In Tourism - The Harbour We Share" is heading to the big screen. This short film tells the story of Dan Thurling, long-time Territory fishing guide and owner of Darwin Harbour Fishing Charters. For Dan the Harbour is more than just a workplace, it’s been his life for over 35 years.

See it on the big screen and under the stars at Deckchair Cinema on Wednesday 3 June, screening before the feature film "500 Days in the Wild"- an intricate weave of adventure film, personal reflection and stunning captures of wildlife and landscapes.

Book your tickets now.

We're giving away two double passes to the Ocean Film Festival, and it could not be easier to win.The festival is back a...
22/05/2026

We're giving away two double passes to the Ocean Film Festival, and it could not be easier to win.

The festival is back at Deckchair Cinema on Tues 16 and Wed 17 June for two nights not to be missed. Currently touring across Australia, Italy, Spain, New Zealand, Mexico, Brazil, the US and the UK, the Ocean Film Festival World Tour screens over 2 hours of the most inspirational, educational and entertaining films related to the ocean from independent film makers around the world. It’s coming to the best cinema - Darwin's Deckchair Cinema.

To go in the draw, just drop a comment below by Friday 29 May, answering the following question:

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭'𝐬 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐟𝐚𝐯𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐄𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫?

You’ve got one week, be sure not to miss out. Share your fave spot now.

We'll pick two winners at random. Easy as that. A double pass is valued at $68 and we’ll buy you a drink! Winners will be notified on Monday 1 June.

A dead green sawfish was found on the sandflats at Ludmilla in Darwin yesterday. It's the third sawfish observation we k...
14/05/2026

A dead green sawfish was found on the sandflats at Ludmilla in Darwin yesterday. It's the third sawfish observation we know of from this area in a month!

Thanks to the fast response from locals, scientists and institutions, the animal was secured for future research.

Green sawfish are listed as vulnerable, however scientists say this is outdated and have recommended it be uplisted to Critically Endangered [1].* One of their greatest threats is commercial gillnets, though this animal showed no signs of human interaction and its cause of death is unknown.

How amazing to have these animals in Darwin! If you spot a sawfish, alive or dead, be sure to report it.

𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙬, 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜.

Photo: baby sawfish, Coconut Grove, April 2026. Photo by Dion.

*Reference: Kyne, PM et al (2021). The Action Plan for Australian Sharks and Rays 2021. (1 ed.) National Environmental Research Program Marine Biodiversity Hub.

07/05/2026

On Friday May 8, Sir David Attenborough turns 100.

Sir David's films have taken us to every corner of the natural world. Few people alive have done more to help us understand what is worth protecting, and how much can still be recovered.

His latest film - 𝙊𝘾𝙀𝘼𝙉 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝘿𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙙 𝘼𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙗𝙤𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 - lands on a simple truth:

"𝘼𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙣𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙖 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙩, 𝙄 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙀𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙚𝙖."

“𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙢𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙖𝙡𝙡.”

"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙘𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚. 𝙄𝙛 𝙡𝙚𝙛𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙖𝙮 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙣."

Marine protected areas work - where the sea has been given room, fish have returned, ecosystems have rebuilt, and the fishing has improved.

Sir David has spent his life showing us what's worth protecting. Up here in the Top End, Territorians are getting on with it.

📷 Video from ‘Ocean with David Attenborough'

Every day that destructive commercial barramundi gillnets are in our Territory waters, they pose a serious risk to threa...
01/05/2026

Every day that destructive commercial barramundi gillnets are in our Territory waters, they pose a serious risk to threatened, endangered and protected species including dugongs, turtles, dolphins, and sawfish, increasing the risk of local extinction for some species.

In August 2024 the CLP committed to phase out the barra gillnets. Nearly two years on and there has been no tangible action to meaningfully progress the phase out.

The environmental stakes have risen with snubfin and humpback dolphins now listed as threatened under Australian laws, and the freshwater sawfish uplisted to Endangered.

Urge the CLP Government to allocate money in the 2026 budget, to safeguard our Top End lifestyle, maintain a sustainable tourism industry and protect our threatened species: https://www.topendcoasts.org.au/protect_from_gillnets

Lose the females from a river, and you lose that river's sawfish for good. That's because female freshwater sawfish retu...
29/04/2026

Lose the females from a river, and you lose that river's sawfish for good. That's because female freshwater sawfish return to the exact river where they were born to have their pups. Each Top End river holds its own distinct population, with no exchange of breeding females between rivers.

The endangered freshwater sawfish is one of the most extraordinary animals in our Top End waters and has survived in our rivers for Millenia. It's also one of the most fragile.
Freshwater sawfish can't escape gillnets.

Their distinctive toothed snout catches in the mesh, and they drown. Independent scientists have identified the NT Government's barra fishery as a 'very high' risk, with 'major' impacts on its population.

Northern Australia is one of the last places on earth where these animals have a chance at recovery. Our rivers can be where this ancient creature makes its comeback, or where it disappears.

That's why phasing out commercial gillnetting in critical areas, including Van Diemen Gulf and the Roper River - Limmen Bight Marine Park, can't wait.

Tell the NT Government to get on with the job.
https://www.topendcoasts.org.au/protect_from_gillnets

Illustration: Thor F. Jensen - Adventurer

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3/98 Woods Street
Darwin, NT
0800

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