Dear Prime Minister - Ocean Photographer of the Year Cards Dear Prime Minister - Ocean Photographer of the Year Cards  

By Joy Paola

A plea written in urgent, wobbly handwriting. Stories of local beaches transformed by litter, now unrecognisable. Volunteers banding together to clean up community spaces. This year’s Ocean Photographer of the Year exhibit features something different than previous years: the ‘Dear Prime Minister’ letter-writing station. After soaking in the impact of stunning, up and close, and at times harrowing images, visitors are invited to reflect in a letter to the Prime Minister. The space encourages visitors to write about the actions they take as individuals, within communities, and what they’d like the government to do, to help our one ocean together.  

Over the summer, almost 2,900 comment cards from the exhibit were collected and analysed to then be shared with the federal government. Visitors’ letters were sorted into piles based on the topics they discussed. With intricate drawings, heartfelt requests, and personal stories, each visitor put their own spin on the questions posed. As expected, there was a vast number of requests and issues raised. However, there were some undeniably popular topics and trends.

There was an emphasis on litter and plastic throughout responses. The most popular individual action stated was to pick up rubbish, followed by reducing plastic use. Meanwhile, the most common community action mentioned was to pick up rubbish or to not litter, followed by clean-up initiatives.  

There were more suggestions for the government than individual or community actions. 80 cards answered at least two of the questions posed. Out of the cards that only answered one question, most responses answered the government prompt with a staggering 715 cards, followed by individual with 53 and community with 9. 

To analyse the enormous stack of cards with requests to government, the cards were first sorted into topics. Then, more specific requests were determined. The top three topics in government responses were fishing and aquaculture, litter and bins, and plastic.

The focus on litter and plastic appears in these trends, too. It makes sense— we see litter and plastic everyday, whether we’re at the beach or walking through residential streets. It’s one of the most visible reminders of our rapidly changing world.  

However, Ocean Photographer of the Year sheds light on the issues that, to us, aren’t easily visible. Julia Ochs’ rare photo of bycatch from bottom trawling may have helped inspire the top third request, ban or stop trawling. Some respondents pleaded to ban the use of fishing nets, referencing an image of a trapped whale— possibly referring to Claudio Moreno Madrid’s compelling capture. The photographs in this exhibit are a reminder of both the vastness and vulnerability of the ocean, which can feel overwhelming when it comes to taking individual and community action. 

But the ball’s rolling. If the respondents who stated they would pick up litter and hold community clean-ups keep it up, then that will make an impact. As will the respondents who said they would reduce plastic use, not wear fast fashion, or look into sustainable seafood. Writing a letter to the Prime Minister is also not exclusive to the exhibit. Depending on the issue we would like to raise, we can write to our MPs, Senators, and even the Prime Minister. If we stick to what actions are realistic and possible for us— going beyond litter when we can— then we won’t become overwhelmed as easily.  

An exhibit like Ocean Photographer of the Year is most effective when we bring our takeaways with us after we step foot outside of the museum. This could be a personal resolution, deeper understanding of a new topic, community initiative, or more. We ask you to think about yours.