There was a time when the oceans seemed an inexhaustible resource. Yet those of us fortunate enough to have on-going contact with the sea know this is not true.

Our ties with the sea extend back before the 1960’s. Our family set up one of Australia’s first public marine exhibit - the Cairns Oceanarium. Back then no one would have believed that reefs - the most bountiful and beautiful of Nature’s ecosystems - could decline.

But decline they have through much of the tropical world. The reasons for this are complex and in a globalised world we all must bare our share of responsibility.

Cairns Marine as a multi-generational family business with deep roots in the ocean has felt these changes very keenly.

We are very fortunate to be based in a part of the world where there are options for a better way. That’s why we are proud to be part of the conservation management arrangements that govern our fishery and protect the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. 

We are also very proud of our approach to best practice. In fact we believe we are setting the benchmark for world best practice through our company policies and systems. That’s why we created Trigger Digger as a way for people to know that they can make a sustainable choice when purchasing aquarium specimens.

Our commitment to conserve and give back to the sea that supports us is tangible. Through our educational and research partnerships Cairns Marine is actively involved in conservation and natural resource management.