The already ailing victim of global warming and industrial disaster, the Great Barrier Reef does not seem to be spared until completely devastated. And in turn, the bleaching away of the country’s this most valuable tourist attraction is endangering Australia’s tourism industry.
Polluting the country’s marine riches, eight of the 10 main rivers flowing into the waters of the Great Barrier Reef, carry with them an increased amount of toxic chemicals - transgressing the water quality guidelines of Queensland.
According to a report by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, atrazine and diuron — the herbicides — were found present at the mouths of the rivers. The levels of these found also on inshore reefs and intertidal seagrass monitoring locations are worrisome and alarming! This scenario and environmental hazards in the region had kicked up concerns among the environmental fraternity decades back. But, ironically, the Queensland as well as the federal governments have not taken the required initiatives for protecting the country’ marine treasures. Activities in the pastoral and sugar cane plantations, that ironically being the known culprit behind pouring mud and toxic weed-killing chemicals into rivers have gone unscratched and unquestioned by the concerned authority - hats off to the regions’ powerful big guns.
It’s high time the authorities take action or lose their natural-tourism economy. They need to work closely with industry to identify and address the ‘impediments’ to growth and maximize yield.
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