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Ally Catterick
Director, Marketing & Communications
The Nature Conservancy Australia
Mobile: 0407 501 132
Email: ally.catterick@tnc.org
A pioneering project to restore the nearly extinct shellfish reefs that once protected Australia’s shores has been named today as a World Restoration Flagship by the United Nations.
The UN announcement recognises the Reef Builder project, a partnership between The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Australian Government, as one of the planet’s most ambitious, science-based, and inspiring examples of large-scale ecosystem restoration in action.
Since 2021, the Reef Builder project has established native oyster and mussel reefs at 21 sites around Australia, jumpstarting the restoration of an ecosystem that once covered a third of the country’s coastline. These reefs filtered billions of litres of seawater and reduced wave damage, before dredging and overharvesting last century wiped out more than 90% of them.
Over the past century, however, more than 90% of Australia’s shellfish reefs have disappeared due to dredging and overharvest. These important ecosystems are now functionally extinct, losing a critical coastal habitat and leaving our shoreline exposed to increasingly extreme weather.
The Reef Builder project is the largest marine restoration initiative in the nation’s history, and the project and subsequent work has successfully restored 21 native oyster and mussel reefs around Australia’s southern coast. The project has been supported by funding from the Australian Government, state governments, corporate partners and generous philanthropists.
TNC Australia aims to scale these efforts up and rebuild 60 shellfish reefs in Australian waters by 2030. The organisation is partnering with government, natural resource management organisations, industry, Traditional Owners, community groups, recreational fishers and universities to achieve this ambitious target.
More information about the Reef Builder project is available here:
https://www.natureaustralia.org.au/what-we-do/our-priorities/oceans/ocean-stories/restoring-shellfish-reefs/
About the UN World Restoration Flagship Awards
The World Restoration Flagship awards are part of the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration – led by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN (FAO) – which aims to prevent, halt, and reverse the degradation of ecosystems on every continent and in every ocean. The awards track notable initiatives that support global commitments to restore one billion hectares – an area larger than China. Reef Builder is the only Australian conservation project to be acknowledged as a 2025 Flagship, and one of only three in the Flagship’s history.
About the UN Environment Programme (UNEP)
UNEP is the leading global voice on the environment. It provides leadership and encourages partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
About the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)
FAO is a specialised agency of the United Nations that leads international efforts to defeat hunger. It aims to achieve food security for all and make sure that people have regular access to enough high-quality food to lead active healthy lives. With over 194 Members, FAO works in over 130 countries worldwide.
The Nature Conservancy is a global conservation organisation dedicated to conserving the lands and waters on which all life depends. Guided by science, we focus on getting things done efficiently and with the greatest positive impact for conservation. We’re a trusted organisation working in more than 70 countries and territories around the world on innovative solutions to our world’s toughest challenges so that nature and people can thrive together. To learn more about The Nature Conservancy in Australia, follow us on Facebook.