For the second consecutive year, MMA is delighted to uphold its commitment to supporting Seeds for Snapper, aligning with our mission to develop marine resources sustainably.
Seeds for Snapper is an initiative run by fishing conservation charity OzFish to protect, restore and revitalise marine habitats across Australia. Volunteers in the program have the opportunity to both harvest and distribute seagrass seeds, ensuring the seeds have the best opportunity to germinate. This supports the restoration of Australia’s vibrant seagrass meadows which provide a number of key benefits including storing carbon, increasing marine life and protecting coastal shorelines from erosion.
This year, MMA proudly sponsored the program with a donation of $10,000. In addition, 24 dedicated MMA team members volunteered at Cockburn Sound on Friday 17 November, providing a range of support including diving to harvest seeds, beachcombing for seeds that had washed ashore and seed processing at the onshore tanks. Following their morning volunteering by the beach, the team finished off their day with a barbeque cooked by their fellow team mates. The day was a great opportunity to not only reinforce our commitment to environmental sustainability, but to being “smarter together” and working as a team.
In addition to our staff volunteering day, on Saturday 18 November, MMA extended its community engagement by hosting a sponsored volunteering day for the local community. Mirroring the activities of the previous day, this event was open to all members of the community with around 20 people joining in the conservation efforts.
Across the two days of volunteering, approximately tens of thousands of seeds were carefully collected and processed. Over the coming weeks, these seeds will be distributed by OzFish volunteers across Carnac Island and Garden Island – vital ecosystems off the coast of Cockburn Sound.
MMA is committed to supporting initiatives like Seeds for Snapper as a part of our sustainability strategy, in support of our commitment to healthy oceans, developing marine resources sustainably and “creating the tomorrow” that we wish to see for future generations to come.
A huge thank you to the 24 MMA team members and community members whose volunteer efforts were key to the success of the Seeds for Snapper program this year.
For more information about Seeds for Snapper and the program’s impact, please visit the OzFish website.