Operation Reef Defence

Sea Shepherd have Adani in their sights with Operation Reef Defence. (Photo: Massimo Bonadei / Sea Shepherd)

In July and August, our flagship the M/Y Steve Irwin, travelled up the east coast of Australia to Abbot Point, to oppose the Adani Carmichael coal mine, rail link and coal port. Our position was made clear - Australia will not trade the Great Barrier Reef with one of the world’s biggest and most destructive coalmines.

Why Stop Adani?

Climate change threatens not only our oceans but our very way of life.

Adani expects to produce 2.3 billion tonnes of coal over 60 years, mainly for export to India, whilst pumping 4.7 billion tonnes of planet warming greenhouse gas emissions into the atmosphere.
Mining, burning and exporting coal is the key contribution Australia makes to this global crisis.
Australia is the largest exporter of coal in the world. We literally export climate change to the world.
If it goes ahead, Adani’s mine would be Australia’s biggest ever coal mine and one of the largest in the world.

The Great Barrier Reef

Australia's much-loved natural icon, the Great Barrier Reef, is home to thousands of reefs, hundreds of islands and over 600 types of corals, colourful fish, molluscs, starfish, plus endangered turtles, dolphins, whales and sharks.

But the reef is under serious threat.

Development of the proposed Carmichael Adani coal mine, rail link and coal port would require a massive dredging program – right through the heart of the reef – and bring an extra 500 coal ships through the Great Barrier Reef each year. Burning the coal, no matter where in the world, will worsen climate change which is already causing the reef to bleach and die.

Unprecedented bleaching events on the Great Barrier Reef in 2016 and 2017 resulted in mass coral mortality. 30% of the coral is now dead, thanks to climate change, which coal is largely responsible for.
By 2034, the extreme ocean temperatures that led to the 2016 and 2017 bleaching events may occur every two years.
The return period for global bleaching events has decreased from 27 years in the 1980s to only 5.9 years now.

Adani’s new coal will only exacerbate these impacts, signing the death certificate for our Great Barrier Reef.

JOIN US – watch the M/Y Steve Irwin sail in to Circular Quay to launch Operation Reef Defence:

Operation Reef Defence Dates

Ports of Call: SYDNEY 20-22 July | BRISBANE 29-30 July

Free Ship Tours in Sydney
July 21: 10am - 4pm | July 22: 10am - 4pm
Due to weather conditions that will delay the ship's arrival into Sydney, Free Ship Tours on Friday, July 20 have been cancelled. We're sorry for the inconvenience this may have caused.

Free Ship Tours in Brisbane on 29-30 July: Between 11am - 5pm

Please click on the tour map to make it larger.

Latest Campaign News

August 05, 2018

Sea Shepherd’s Steve Irwin vessel joins Mackay community in defence of our Great Barrier Reef

The M/Y Steve Irwin vessel and crew arrived into Mackay, Queensland to a wonderful welcoming on Sunday, August 5, riding on a wave of community support from Melbourne, Sydney, Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Noosa, 1770 and Yeppoon in defence…

August 04, 2018

Sea Shepherd joins Yeppoon in defence of our Great Barrier Reef

The M/Y Steve Irwin and crew arrived into Yeppoon, Queensland to a wonderful paddle out and welcoming today, riding on a wave of community support from Melbourne, Sydney, Coffs Harbour, Byron Bay, Gold Coast, Brisbane, Noosa, Agnes Water and 1770 in defence…

Aug 02, 2018

Stop Adani movement kicks off 2018 with parliament protest | The Guardian | February 14

Adani should not get a loan | Brisbane Times | November 8

Stop Adani campaign to hit top gear ahead of Queensland election | The Australian | November 6

Adani activists spell out grievance | Townsville Bulletin, October 9, 2017

Thousands take to the streets with chants of Adani Go Home! | India Today, October 9, 2017

You can follow the campaign by searching for #StopAdani on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.