Townsville Enterprise is calling on UNESCO and the World Heritage Committee (WHC) to acknowledge that an ‘in-danger’ listing is unlikely to make a positive difference to the long-term health and resilience of the Great Barrier Reef.
The most serious threat to the health of the Great Barrier Reef is climate change, which requires global cooperation to move toward decarbonised industry and energy systems to mitigate long-term environmental impacts.
An in-danger listing would trigger the development of a management plan for localised impacts like water quality, fisheries management, and sustainable tourism development.
These localised impacts are already being addressed by the world’s leading reef research and management organisations including the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA), the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS) and James Cook University (JCU).
There was no question the Great Barrier Reef needs to be protected for future generations, but an ‘in-danger’ listing is not the best way to go about it.
“Asking a state or federal government to manage a global issue like climate change is not a realistic position, and we strongly recommend against that approach when it comes to the Great Barrier Reef,” Ms Brumme-Smith said.
“On issues where a UNESCO listing could be useful, like setting up a framework to manage local impacts, we already have the world’s foremost tropical marine research and scientific institutions guiding the decision making of the world’s leading reef management organisation, the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority.
“A UNESCO in-danger listing would simply be another regulatory body telling us to do what we are already the world experts at doing, and it is doubtful it would make a difference to outcomes for the reef.”
“We really want to focus on the world-class work that is being done right here in North Queensland to further improve the reef’s outlook.”
“Billions of dollars have been allocated in recent years, creating a war chest of knowledge and scientific insight that continues to shape reef protection regulation and legislation at all levels of government.”
“From agricultural and industrial water run-off to fisheries management, there is a constant stream of work and research and innovation underway that is making a material difference to reef’s resilience.”
“What we can’t fix locally is global warming, and a UNESCO listing won’t change that”.
Master Reef Guide and owner of Magnetic Island tourism operator Aquascene Charters Stephanie Hinks, said many in the reef tourism industry were already struggling after two years of COVID induced shutdowns, and the unintended consequences of a UNESCO listing could be final for some.
“Before COVID we had up to 2.5 million visitors coming to the Great Barrier Reef each year, supporting around 60,000 jobs in communities up and down the reef catchment,” Ms Hinks said.
“COVID has cut these visitor numbers by more than half, which has taken a huge toll on operators and employees in the industry.”
“A UNESCO in-danger listing could lead to a permanent decline in tourism numbers, which would not be a good thing for our industry, our community, or for the reef.”
“We need visitors coming to see the reef in all its glory and to really “connect” with what they see, and then to share what they’ve seen and learned here, with family and friends around the world.”
“As Sir David Attenborough once said, ‘No one will protect what they don’t care about, and no one will care about what they have never experienced’”
“When visitors experience and truly connect with the reef, something special happens, that’s when we see the magic happen, that incredible connection helps creates change.”
“From a reef tourism operators’ point of view, experiencing the reef firsthand is the most effective way to inspire the change required to fight climate change on a global level.
Director of the Centre for Tropical Water and Aquatic Ecosystem Research (TropWATER) at James Cook University, Professor Damien Burrows, said that it was important that any decisions made were not guided by ideology or sentiment, but by research outcomes.
“The Great Barrier Reef evokes a lot of emotion in people, and there’s an understandable desire to protect it and make sure we’re doing everything in our power to minimise our impacts on it and ensure it is healthy and vibrant for generations to come,” Profession Burrows said.
“But the reef does not exist in a vacuum, and we need to ensure that we understand why we would take certain actions to protect it, and what the broader implications of those actions may be for the communities that live in reef catchments.”
“The Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan is the overarching framework for protecting and managing the reef, and it was developed in lockstep with the world’s leading reef scientists.”
“What we don’t have yet is any data on how an ‘in danger’ listing could help us achieve better outcomes than we already are.
