What Ozfish Unlimited does

OzFish Unlimited is a registered Australian charity founded in 2015 and headquartered in Ballina, New South Wales, focused on fish habitat restoration across Australia. The organization operates a community-driven model through eight state and territory chapters (NSW, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria, Tasmania, Northern Territory, and ACT) and engages more than 15,000 supporters and volunteers in conservation work. Its core programmatic offerings include Seeds for Snapper (community-driven seagrass meadow restoration in Cockburn Sound WA, Adelaide, and Fleurieu Peninsula SA), Shellfish Revolution (oyster and mussel reef restoration), Basin Fish (Murray-Darling Basin restoration including carp removal), Tackling Litter (waterway cleanup and ghost gear recovery), Fishable Cities (urban waterway restoration), and Fish Dreaming (Indigenous-led conservation), supported by sub-programs such as OzCast, the Young Leaders Program, Junior OzFishers, and Scale Up Training.

The organization's technical foundation rests on three proprietary or co-developed methods: the hessian sandbag seagrass restoration technique developed over 25+ years of research with Associate Professor Jason Tanner at the South Australian Research and Development Institute, reducing transplantation costs to 5-10% of conventional methods; Robust Oyster Baskets (ROBs), purpose-built shellfish reef structures deployed in Moreton Bay and other sites; and seagrass seed tank processing using pumped seawater at controlled temperatures to mimic natural seed release. These methods are underpinned by long-standing research partnerships with the University of Western Australia (Seeds for Snapper Cockburn Sound), the University of Sunshine Coast (oyster reef nutrient-sequestration monitoring), and SARDI.

OzFish generates revenue through four streams: annual membership subscriptions (Adult, Family up to six members, Junior ages 0-18, with automatic rollover); tax-deductible donations; corporate partnerships and sponsorships (notably BCF as a major funding partner, plus Daiwa Australia, Synergy, Water Corporation, Green Adelaide, Unitywater, Westport WA, and Cyan Renewables); and event revenue from fishing competitions, volunteer days, and merchandise. Go-to-market is community-led, with chapters serving as the primary acquisition and engagement channel alongside digital touchpoints (website, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, the OzCast podcast, and email newsletters). The organization holds United Nations Decade on Ecosystem Restoration supporter status and is governed as a company limited by guarantee without external ownership.

Name

Ozfish Unlimited

Legal name

OzFish Unlimited

Website

https://ozfish.org.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

OzFish Unlimited is a registered Australian charity restoring fish habitats through community-driven seagrass and shellfish reef restoration programs, serving recreational fishers, local communities, and corporate partners across eight national chapters and 15,000+ supporters.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Conservation Services

NAICS

Shellfish Farming (112512), Aquaculture (1125)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Stock Enhancement & Restocking / Conservation Aquaculture (AFAEAAAO), Marine Shellfish Farming (e.g., oysters, mussels, clams) (AFAEAAAB)

Keywords

• Fish habitat restoration
• Seagrass restoration
• Shellfish reef restoration
• Environmental conservation services
• Community conservation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Ballina

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership subscriptions with automatic rollover options, including Family, Junior, and Adult categories
2. Donations: One-time and recurring donations from supporters, with tax-deductible receipts for donations of $2 and more
3. Corporate partnerships and sponsorships: Funding from corporate partners including BCF, government grants, and philanthropic organizations for specific restoration projects
4. Event revenue: Revenue from fishing competitions, events, and merchandise sales

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

OzFish Unlimited is a registered Australian charity that restores fish habitats through community-driven programs including seagrass meadow restoration (Seeds for Snapper), shellfish/oyster reef restoration (Shellfish Revolution), invasive species removal such as carp (Basin Fish), litter and ghost gear cleanup (Tackling Litter), urban waterway restoration (Fishable Cities), and Indigenous-led conservation (Fish Dreaming). The organization funds these programs through annual memberships, tax-deductible donations, corporate sponsorships (e.g., BCF), and government/philanthropic grants, delivering them via 8 state chapters and 15,000+ volunteers.

Product overview

OzFish Unlimited is a registered Australian charity focused on fish habitat restoration, operating as a platform of community-driven conservation programs rather than a single product. The core offerings include Seeds for Snapper (seagrass restoration using collected Posidonia seeds in biodegradable sandbags), the Shellfish Revolution (oyster and mussel reef restoration via Robust Oyster Baskets), Basin Fish (Murray-Darling Basin restoration including carp removal), Tackling Litter (waterway cleanups), Fishable Cities (urban waterway restoration), and Fish Dreaming (Indigenous-led conservation). Supporting programs include OzCast podcast, Young Leaders youth development, Junior OzFishers children's engagement, Citizen Science initiatives, Scale Up Training, and Experience Campouts. The organization also offers membership programs (Adult, Family, Junior) and operates a national network of local chapters coordinating grassroots restoration activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Seeds for Snapper: Community-driven seagrass restoration program targeting Posidonia australis seagrass meadows to restore habitat for snapper and other marine species.
• Shellfish Revolution
• OzCast
• Young Leaders Program
• Basin Fish
• Fishable Cities

Products and services

• Seeds for Snapper Community-driven seagrass restoration program that collects Posidonia seagrass fruit, processes seeds in aquaculture tanks, and deploys seeded hessian sandbags to restore degraded seagrass meadows in Cockburn Sound (WA), Adelaide metropolitan coastline, and Fleurieu Peninsula (SA). Targets habitat recovery for snapper and other marine species.
• Shellfish Revolution Nationwide initiative to restore Australia's lost shellfish reefs through deployment of Robust Oyster Baskets (ROBs), mussel mats, and community shell recycling programs. Includes the North Pine River oyster reef nutrient removal project targeting excessive nitrogen.
• Tackling Litter Environmental cleanup program addressing litter pollution in Australian waterways, including ghost gear recovery, microplastics reduction, Great Aussie Crab Pot Recovery, and community clean-up events.
• Basin Fish

Quantifiable outcome

• 1.23 million seagrass seeds dispersed in Cockburn Sound restoration
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, notable and supporting.

• University of Western AustraliacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Long-standing partnership for Seeds for Snapper seagrass restoration in Cockburn Sound, WA. UWA researchers provide scientific expertise and have proven that Posidonia australis plant in Shark Bay is the world's largest organism covering 200 sq km.
• Landcare NSWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to deliver restoration works across NSW using OzFish's community engagement and project management expertise combined with Landcare's volunteer network.
• South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociate Professor Jason Tanner leads seagrass restoration research with 25+ years of experience. Developed hessian sandbag technique for 5-10% of traditional restoration costs.
• University of Sunshine CoastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr Ben Gilby leads research team monitoring oyster reefs to measure nutrient sequestration effectiveness in North Pine River project.
• UnitywatercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for pioneering trial at North Pine River targeting nitrogen removal from waterways. Unitywater aims for net zero nutrients by 2040.
• Healthy Land and WatermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the North Pine River oyster reef nutrient removal project targeting excessive nitrogen in Brisbane waterways.
• RecFishWestmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerWA recreational fishing body partner supporting Seeds for Snapper project and community engagement.
• RecFish SAmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSA recreational fishing body partner in Seeds for Snapper Adelaide project.
• OceanEarth FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates through Ghost Nets Australia program for Great Aussie Crab Pot Recovery to recover abandoned crab pots.
• Daiwa AustraliamajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner supporting seagrass restoration in Cockburn Sound, WA through latest partnership announced in 2024.
• Sydney Opera HousenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerOzFish donated 85,000+ oyster shells for First Nations artist Megan Cope's 'Whispers' exhibition celebrating 50th anniversary, featuring 200 timber poles covered with oysters.
• Cockburn Power Boats ClubsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner supporting Seeds for Snapper WA with volunteer boat operators.
• Mangles Bay Fishing ClubsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerCommunity partner for WA seagrass restoration activities.
• AQWAsupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerAquarium partner supporting WA seagrass restoration awareness.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Landcare Australia: National environmental nonprofit coordinating volunteer-driven land and waterway restoration across Australia. Direct operational peer given formal partnership with OzFish (NSW restoration delivery) and overlapping community chapter model.
• Greening Australia: Major Australian environmental nonprofit restoring native vegetation and habitats including riparian zones. Comparable community-based restoration model and federal-scale delivery footprint.
• Healthy Land and Water: South East Queensland natural resource management body. Direct peer in waterway restoration, with formal partnership on the North Pine River oyster reef nutrient project.
• Australian Marine Conservation Society: Australia's peak marine-focused nonprofit advocating for and restoring marine ecosystems. Comparable advocacy-and-restoration mix, although more policy-oriented than OzFish's volunteer-led fieldwork model.
• OceanEarth Foundation: Australian marine conservation nonprofit focused on ocean restoration including ghost gear recovery. Direct peer given formal partnership through Ghost Nets Australia and overlapping marine habitat mission.

Broad incumbents

• WWF-Australia: Major international conservation NGO with significant Australian marine and freshwater programs. Comparable fish habitat and waterway restoration mission, but operates at much larger scale with broader species focus.
• The Nature Conservancy Australia: Large international conservation organization with active Australian marine and freshwater programs. Comparable mission and science-led restoration approach, but operates at significantly greater scale and global scope.

Regional players

• RecFish SA: South Australian recreational fishing body and OzFish partner. Comparable recreational-fisher community engagement, but operates only within SA and is primarily advocacy-focused.
• RecFishWest: Western Australian recreational fishing representative body and OzFish partner. Comparable recreational-fisher engagement model, though focused on advocacy and policy rather than direct habitat restoration.

Others

• Unitywater: Queensland water utility and OzFish partner. Included as a downstream customer/funding counterparty illustrating the nature-based solutions partnership model OzFish is pursuing with infrastructure providers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/OzFishUnlimited
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ozfishunlimited
• Facebookfacebook.com/OzFishUnlimited
• Instagraminstagram.com/ozfishunlimited
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ozfishunlimited

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ozfish Unlimited