Taronga Zoo Seal Show wins award for Public Engagement

For the second year in a row, Taronga Zoo’s Seal Show has won the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Oceania 2019 Wave of Change - Public Engagement Award. 

The Wave of Change Awards recognise organisations for going above and beyond to protect the future of our oceans by promoting sustainable seafood and are selected based on three criteria: impact on market, leadership and communication. 

Taronga’s Marine Mammal Team, who deliver the daily Seal Show as an educational experience to Taronga’s guests, aim to engage and inspire action for the sustainability of our oceans. 

The Wave of Change Awards pave the way for Sustainable Seafood Week, which takes place from 11th to17th March 2019. The event is dedicated to celebrating certified fisheries, retailers, chefs and restaurants who support MSC’s mission to ensure sustainable seafood for future generations.

MSC Oceania also recognised SEA LIFE Trust Ocean Youth Program with the Youth Engagement Award for inspiring and empowering ocean lovers to take action for future generations; launching ocean conservation and sustainability projects in their local communities; and expanding to four locations in 2019: Sydney, Melbourne, Mooloolaba, and Auckland.

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) is an international non-profit organisation. Their vision is for the world’s oceans to be teeming with life, and seafood supplies safeguarded for this and future generations. Their ecolabel and certification program recognises and rewards sustainable fishing practices and is helping create a more sustainable seafood market.

The MSC blue fish tick on a seafood product means that:
• It comes from a wild-catch fishery which has been independently certified to the MSC’s science-based standard for environmentally sustainable fishing, and
• It’s fully traceable to a sustainable source.

More than 350 fisheries in over 35 countries are certified to the MSC’s Standard. These fisheries have a combined annual seafood production of around 10 million metric tonnes, representing 12% of global marine wild catch. Over 30,000 seafood products worldwide carry the blue MSC label.

For further details on the Wave of Change Awards, and Sustainable Seafood Week, visit the MSC website www.msc.org/en-au

To learn more about the Ocean Youth Program program on the SEA LIFE Trust visit www.sealifetrust.org.au/how-to-help/ocean-youth

Image top: Taronga Zoo Seal Show

Image above: SEA LIFE Mooloolaba rescues approximately 80 sea turtles annually, an effort that could not be achieved without the wonderful help of work experience/sea turtle rehabilitation volunteers.