Page 21 - Tropic Magazine Issue 22

TROPIC • ENVIRONMENT

Coral biobank Recycling expense

Need another reason to curb waste?
AQUARIUM ARKS You’re footing the bill, either through
1 rates or taxes, for recyclable materials
Hundreds of species of from yellow-lidded bins to be sent to
Great Barrier Reef corals will be held at the Stratford facility of tropical south-east Queensland contractors.
be collected and stored in aquarium industry leader Cairns Marine, In the Cairns Regional Council area
a key partner in the project. “We have
aquariums to preserve the the technology and the skills to set up a 8,000 tonnes of recyclables per year
biodiversity of reefs worldwide. bio bank,” said Director Lyle Squire. “We are sent 1,600 kilometres
do view ourselves as custodians so it’s a at a cost of $66/tonne.
Words: Renee Cluff The Council’s seeking a $250,000
natural fit for us to want to be involved in
The Living Coral Biobank project aims to State Government grant to
buy time for reef conservation efforts by subsidise transport costs.
safeguarding samples of all of the world’s
hard corals. It’s being led by Port Douglas- Central mission
based non-profit organisation Great We’ve got to collect what’s
Barrier Reef Legacy. The organisation’s left now because if we The city’s biggest shopping centre
partner Dr Charlie Veron is known as the has launched a major recycling
‘godfather of corals’ because he’s identified don’t, it will be too late initiative to combat landfill waste.
so many species. He said the biobank will Cairns Central has partnered
act as a back-up should die-offs occur. Dr Charlie Veron, with environmental organisation
Living Coral Biobank
“We’ve got to collect what’s left now Closed Loop to recycle disposable
because if we don’t, it will be too late,” he coffee cups at the centre, with
said. “The coral biobank will work because such a fantastic project like this.” coffee cup shaped recycling bins
corals, unlike most marine life, can live in Great Barrier Reef Legacy’s Dr Dean to be installed throughout the
perpetuity. We will keep both the corals Miller told Tropic that by year’s end, centre to encourage customers
and their symbionts alive so that when over 200 species will be safely stored, to recycle. Australians use more
they are returned amounting to half than one billion disposable coffee
to their native state of Great Barrier cups each year - estimated to be
they will have both Coral data back-up Reef species and a the second-largest contributor to
together and they quarter of global litter waste after plastic bottles.
need both together. 1st data set natural reefs species. Eventually, Cairns Central Centre Manager
No other project is 2nd data set Port Douglas they’ll be sent to Christie-Lee Jackson said the
doing this.” holding facility aquariums across centre adopted the initiative to
increase its recycling capacity, in
The organisation 3rd data set public aquariums the globe. “We’ve addition to almost 40 per cent of
had interest from
will aim to work around the world all over the world, waste which is generated on site
with 72 traditional Final data set home aquariums 2 particularly Europe then diverted from landfill and
owner groups along and the US, from mostly recycled.
the Great Barrier home aquarium collectors who’ve
Reef to ensure the program complements pioneered the husbandry of corals,”
traditional management of sea country. In he said.
the coming months, the first samples will “Our ideal plan is to build a special
holding facility at Port Douglas to house
and maintain all the world’s species.
It will be a coral ark in a way and it will
also be a place where people can come and
see the corals, so it will be a job-creating
tourist attraction which in turn will
further help reefs.” MORE: cairnscentral.com.au
The organisation plans to house 800
species of coral at the Port Douglas 1. Dr Charlie Veron searching for biodiversity
facility within the next five years and has 2. John Rumney, Dr Charlie Veron and Dr Dean Miller
3 the support of the Douglas Shire Council. with coral collection
3. Dr Charlie Veron and John Rumney at Cairns Marine

21 • tropicnow.com.au