Government says all coral reefs in danger, not just the GBR

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The Federal Government says UNESCO  should be concerned about the state of coral reefs around the world, and not just with the Great Barrier Reef.

UNESCO controls world heritage listings. This week it recommended that the Great Barrier Reef be put on the list of sites in danger of losing their world heritage status.

The recommendation came in a just released report on a Reactive Monitoring Mission to inspect the Reef carried out by UN scientists in March this year.

Federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek, said the UNESCO findings could apply to all coral reefs.

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“If the Great Barrier Reef is in danger, then every coral reef in the world is in danger.

“If this world heritage site is in danger, then most world heritage sites around the world are in danger from climate change.”

Ms Plibersek said Australia will lobby UNESCO to not downgrade the GBR, saying the Federal Government had already addressed many of the concerns raised in the report.

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“The Australian Marine Conservation Society says that the new Government has done more in this six months than the previous government did in nine years to protect the Great Barrier Reef.

“We are absolutely determined to do our bit to keep global warming beneath 1.5 degrees. We've legislated. We've invested.

“We're working hard to make sure that that's the case through all of our policies.

“We'll clearly make the point to UNESCO that there is no need to single the Great Barrier Reef out in this way.”

Ms Plibersek said the UNESCO report identified concerns with policies and decisions by the previous Federal Government that have since been addressed, including climate policy, large-scale dam projects, and Indigenous involvement.

The UNESCO report said despite “unparalleled science and management efforts”, the GBR has been significantly impacted by climate change factors.

“The resilience of the property to recover from climate change impacts is substantially compromised, in particular, but not exclusively, due to degraded water quality,” the report says.

“Climate change is an ongoing and increasingly serious challenge to the outstanding universal value of the property.

“The GBR has suffered a series of widespread coral bleaching events, occurring with increasing frequency, including four events over the last seven years.

“A new mass bleaching occurred during the mission team’s visit and took place, for the first time in history, in a traditionally cooler La Niña period.”

The report said there are comprehensive and thorough management frameworks and strategies in place, but they lack clear climate change targets and implementation measures.

“They are not fully implemented, particularly in relation to water quality and fisheries activities.”

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Queensland senator, and special envoy for the GBR, Nita Green, said the report is concerning but should be read in its proper context.

“I know that this would be difficult news for people who work and live in the Great Barrier Reef, particularly tourism operators.

“I want to assure those people about the nature of this report. This report is not a recommendation to UNESCO.

“This relates to work done under the previous government in March 2022.

“Since that time, we've had a change of government and we've taken significant steps in policy, but also in implementing management of the Reef.

“We will work with you and with the Queensland Government to protect the Great Barrier Reef and to protect the jobs that rely on it.”

Climate Council research director, Simon Bradshaw, said coral reefs are in danger everywhere and urgent action is required.

“Our focus must be on how to limit future harms as much as possible.

“Really strong and determined action this decade will be the difference between giving our precious Great Barrier Reef and everything that depends on it a fighting chance and watching it disappear.”