“When I was young, the water was clear and clean,” they say.
“There were lots of coral reefs and many different kinds of fish.”
Today, they have stopped fishing and make a living by selling handicrafts made from plastic they have found in the sea, to tourists.
Andrea is a fourth-generation fisherman. The catch now is a lot lower because of the influx of tropical species brought about by warming temperatures. As he shows us the beautiful island of Burano, he also tells us about the drastic changes he has seen there. He urges that we must act now and together before it gets too late.
Their story is about Algae Bloom and Stewardship. The Great Australian Bight is one of the world’s greatest marine centres of biodiversity. The whales are the Mirnings totem and they speak of them as their family. Elder Bunna asks us to imagine a world without whales, without creatures in the Ocean. “Mirning” means listen, learn, understand and observe for wisdom and knowledge – and they implore the leaders and people of COP to listen to the indigenous people.
She talks about reclaiming the connection with the Ocean and heritage, as her tribe also regained their rights to their ancestral lands. They are now working to bring back the Otter in the area.
