The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) recently approved a proposal to expand the Abbot Point coal port. This means that 3 million cubic meters of previously undisturbed seabed will be dredged, releasing sediments and disrupting habitats. While the Environmental Minister Greg Hunt says that there will be strict environmental standards for the expansion, other environmental groups are concerned about the impact on the overall quality of the reef. For example, the land that is dredged is not allowed to be dumped in the Marine Park, but the act of removing the sediment will inevitable release particles into the water. I find it hard to believe that the GBRMPA, an agency that just created a ‘Representative Areas Program’ to help maintain biodiversity, limit human impacts, and allow species to live undisturbed (Fernandes), green-lighted a project that will essential rip out a part of the Great Barrier Reef. While the part of the reef directly affected by the expansion of Abbot Point isn’t directly within the Marine Park (see the map below), it seems as though consideration was not given to the indirect effects to the rest of the reef. The GBRMPA seems very concerned with the long-term health of the reef, so I find it hard to believe that they let the arbitrary boundaries of the Marine Park sway them. I wonder if the GBRMPA decided that the economic benefits outweighed the environmental consequences or if the environmental impacts were not presented clearly enough. Maybe the political pressure was too high. Regardless, just because parts of the reef exist outside of the Marine Park doesn’t mean that they shouldn’t also be given environmental consideration
Image: http://www.mappery.com/map-of/Great-Barrier-Reef-Basin-Map
Featured Image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Barrier_Reef
Fernandes et al. 2009. A process to design a network of marine no-take areas: Lessons from the Great Barrier Reef. Ocean and Coastal Management. 52:439-447