Spotlight on Great Barrier Reef
The Great Barrier Reef might be the best managed reef in the world, and has the best chance of survival, but the Reef is at serious risk from land based pollution, over fishing and loss of coastal habitats. WWF Australia and the Reef & Rainforest Research Centre will bring this to the attention of a bigger audience in Brisbane on 10 November.
The Federal Government recently released a major report on the future outlook for the Great Barrier Reef.
While the GBR is the best managed reef in the world, and has the best chance of survival, the outlook is poor unless urgent action is taken. Based on the latest peer reviewed science, the Report explains how the Reef is at serious risk from land based pollution, over fishing and loss of coastal habitats.
Solutions to these threats are needed rapidly in order to give the Reef its best chance of surviving and adapting to climate change.
WWF is organising a briefing in Brisbane on Tuesday 10 November aimed at senior policy advisors, sustainability managers, conservation friends, journalists and high value supporters.
3.15pm: WWF / Reef & Rainforest Research Centre (RRRC) Essential Science Briefing: The Great Barrier Reef. Venue: Stamford Plaza Brisbane
The Reef and Rainforest Research Centre Limited (RRRC) was created in 2006 to implement the Australian Government’s Marine and Tropical Sciences Research Facility (MTSRF) in North Queensland.
Here’s what WWF said on the release of the Federal Government’s report last month:
Today’s inaugural release of the Outlook Report states the Reef’s future is “poor” and may not avoid “catastrophic damage” unless there are deep cuts to Queensland, Australian and global greenhouse emissions, WWF-Australia said today.
“Any Queensland or Australian senator who denies or dilutes the government’s climate reforms has the blood of the Reef on their hands,” said Nick Heath, WWF Reef spokesperson.
“Australians want the Reef saved – climate deniers in the Senate must get out of the way. There is no way we can expect the world to make deep emission cuts unless we do.”
Mr Heath said Queensland senators who failed to vote for the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme were failing to vote for 63,000 Queensland jobs that rely on the health of the Great Barrier Reef.
He said Kevin Rudd and Anna Bligh had shown great leadership today in committing to a 50 per cent cut in Reef water pollution – but they must now lead again to cut emissions.
“The fact is Queensland’s emissions are enormous, and this is largely to do with land clearing. If Queensland is serious about saving the Reef, it must cut land clearing rates immediately,” he said.
The report is also critical of Queensland’s poor contribution to Reef management, with its failure to police rising illegal fishing, protect sharks or protect islands and coasts from developers’ concrete.
“We need to manage the Reef as a whole ecosystem – protecting top predators like sharks and reducing pollution, climate change and bycatch,” Mr Heath said.
“State managed trawlers still throw back five tonnes of dead fish for every tonne of prawns caught.”
Written by some of the world’s best minds on reefs and released today by Environment Minister Peter Garrett, the Outlook Report is possibly the most authoritative report of its kind ever published.
The report shows coral growth rates in spectacular decline – and likely to deteriorate further from changes in ocean chemistry caused by excessive greenhouse gas emissions.
“This report shows unequivocally that the Great Barrier Reef is on the brink of disaster. We cannot sit back and let the world’s largest and most iconic reef system die on our watch,” Mr Heath said.
WWF has arranged events in Brisbane to provide briefings on the report and our solutions as well as to harness the support of business and community leaders to address these issues.
For more information or to attend contact Samantha Hardy Telephone 07 3012 7574 or shardy@wwf.org.au
Source: www.wwf.org.au and www.rrrc.org.au