October 21, 2019

PhD student awarded global fellowship to tackle plastic waste in fishing industry

Freya Croft one of only 10 researchers to receive prestigious Blue Charter Fellowship

Freya Croft grew up in Bathurst, a city in regional NSW not exactly known for its coastline.

Yet, from an early age, she was captivated by the ocean. She spent her holidays on the South Coast and would dream of the next time she could see the water.

Now, the PhD candidate at the University of Wollongong (UOW) spends her days studying the ocean and our relationship to it.

“When I was looking to study at University, I wanted one that was near the ocean,” said Freya, who is in the third year of a doctorate at the Australian Centre for Culture, Environment, Society and Space (ACCESS), at UOW. “I wanted to be able to study what I love but still be close to the water every day. I am happiest when I am near the sea.”

Freya’s passion for the ocean and the outdoors has translated into an incredible opportunity that will soon take her around the world.

She is one of 10 students globally to be named a Blue Charter Fellow by The Association of Commonwealth Universities. It is the second year in a row that a UOW researcher has been named a Blue Charter Fellow, after Dr Elyse Stanes, from ACCESS, last year took part in the inaugural program.

This year, the fellowships were received by researchers from countries throughout the Commonwealth, including South Africa, India, and the United Kingdom, with the aim of confronting the issue of plastic pollution in the ocean. Freya is one of two Australian researchers to receive a fellowship in 2019/2020.

As part of the second ever cohort of the fellowship program, which reflects the Commonwealth’s shared commitment to preserve and nurture the ocean, Freya will next year spend a month in the United Kingdom, followed by four months in New Zealand. Her Blue Charter research will examine sustainability in New Zealand’s Maori-owned fishing industry, and ways to reduce marine and plastic pollution.

“Plastic pollution is common in the commercial fishing industry. Ghost fishing nets alone are responsible for 600,000 tonnes of plastic waste in our oceans,” Freya said, referring to nets that have been lost or dumped in the ocean.

“A lot of the world’s protein source comes from the fishing industry – especially in the developing world. So, given this reliance on the industry, we want to explore other alternatives without impacting on their operations. How we reduce plastic and be more sustainable?

“Marine pollution is pervasive but our oceans are essential to life on earth so we need to be creative and innovative, and find a way to have an impact.

“We will be working with the fishing community, to look at what companies are currently doing, what changes they can make, and how we can affect change globally.”

The Blue Charter Fellowship will be a new direction for Freya. Her PhD thesis focuses on tourism on coral reefs and if this can have conservation benefits for the people that undertake it. In other words, how our experiences exploring the underwater world can compel us to preserve this fundamental ecosystem.

The research has taken her to Ningaloo Reef in Western Australia – which she first visited on a holiday – a place that is famous for allowing visitors to swim with whale sharks.

“I’m really interested in how emotions shape the encounters we have in marine environments, especially when it comes to experiences swimming with marine mega fauna like humpback whales and whale sharks. Through my PhD, I am examining whether emotion can be capitalised in order to raise awareness about marine issues and facilitate change,” Freya said.

“Are people more likely to change their behaviour, and play a more active role in ocean conservation, or engage in more sustainable behaviour practices, once they have visited an incredible place like Ningaloo Reef?”

Freya will be spending more time in and around the ocean through the Blue Charter Fellowship, and said she is thrilled to have been given the chance to further explore her passion and have an impact on a global level.

“This is an incredible opportunity and I’m excited for it to begin.”