- 14 March 2023
Austral Fisheries becomes first company to purchase Canopy Blue’s Kelp Reforestation Credits, offsetting carbon emissions under Climate Active program.
Perth, Western Australia
Austral Fisheries (Austral) has become the first company to purchase Canopy Blue’s Kelp Reforestation Credits. This move enables Austral, one of Australia’s largest integrated commercial fishing companies and the world’s first carbon neutral seafood business since 2016, to offset a corresponding amount of its emissions under Climate Active, the Australian government’s carbon neutrality program, whilst also supporting an innovative Australian-based Kelp Restoration site.
Canopy Blue’s first Kelp Reforestation site is in Western Australia and is a ground-breaking initiative aimed at restoring 97,438 hectares of kelp forest that was devastated by a 2011 El Niño event.
Canopy Blue has partnered with The University of Western Australia (UWA) and its worldclass marine scientists, led by Professor Thomas Wernberg. The restoration of these kelp forests is critical to the health of the local marine ecosystem and has positive benefits for the wider environment, including carbon sequestration, improved water quality, and increased biodiversity. The project also has the potential to unlock Kelp restoration globally, as a naturebased solution to climate change.
Canopy Blue is an industry led initiative, led by Grey Innovation, and supported by corporate partners matched with private investment. “Canopy Blue will be the masters of scale when it comes to growing seaweed in the ocean”, states Jefferson Harcourt, Grey Innovation Group Chairman. “We are bringing best practices from the construction sector and large scale project management to build the infrastructure required to provide bulk quantities of seaweed for fuel and plastic replacement, and to regenerate lost kelp forests at hyperscale. The carbon markets are an important source of funding for us, and we are delighted to have Austral Fisheries as our first customer.”
“Austral Fisheries has always been committed to sustainable fishing practices and supporting innovations that help to minimise our impact on the environment,” said David Carter, CEO of Austral Fisheries. “By supporting the Kelp Reforestation Project, we are not only offsetting our carbon emissions but also helping to restore a vital marine ecosystem that has suffered greatly in recent years.”
“By purchasing Canopy Blue’s Kelp Reforestation Credits, Austral Fisheries is again leading the way in demonstrating its commitment to sustainability, whilst supporting a project with the potential to unlock Kelp reforestation as a nature based solution to climate change, and have a huge impact on the health of our oceans globally” said Jon-paul Cox, CEO of Canopy Blue.
“Kelp forests cover a third of the world’s coastlines and support hundreds of millions of people, but they are disappearing at an unprecedented rate. We are really proud to have a company as committed to restoring the oceans as Austral Fisheries are on board as our first purchaser.”
The Kelp Reforestation Project is a prime example of how businesses can play a vital role in protecting the environment and supporting sustainable development. Canopy Blue’s Kelp Reforestation Credits provide a simple and effective way for companies to offset their carbon emissions while supporting positive environmental outcomes.
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