Fellow Cove Guardian alumni, marine conservation campaigner and underwater photographer, Nicole McLachlan, began a hunger strike (refraining the consumption of all food and liquid with the exception of water) on February 6th, 2016, with the ultimate goal of increasing the protection of both humans and marine life off the coast of Queensland, Australia.

The hunger strike will be conducted by Nicole  in order to:

• Mobilize the Queensland and Australia-wide general public to urge the Queensland State Government to invest in non lethal alternatives to shark mitigation efforts within the state as well as phasing out lethal shark control methods.

• Raise public awareness of and highlight the destruction caused by lethal shark control programs to both marine life and humans.

• Encourage public support for non lethal alternatives to the current shark control program in Queensland.

Nicole will continue her her  hunger strike until the following policy changes and commitments are met by the Queensland State Government/ Department of Primary Industries.

• A commitment of at least $16 million (to match the NSW State Governments’ recent commitment) into the trial and implementation of non-lethal alternatives along Queensland beaches (to ultimately replace shark nets and drum lines).

• A commitment to phase out all shark nets along the Queensland coast within the year 2016. These nets are a high risk to beach goers and marine rescue crews and should be removed as soon as possible.

• A commitment to phase out all drum lines off the Queensland coastline over 5 years, by replacing these with non lethal alternatives (e.g. shark spotters programs).

Please sign Nicole’s petition on Change.org:

https://www.change.org/p/protect-both-marine-life-and-humans-along-the-queensland-coast

Follow Nicole on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/nicolemclachlan.underthesea