Great Barrier Reef poisoned

2003-01-28 11:47

Brisbane - Australia's Great Barrier Reef is being poisoned by chemicals draining from sugar cane farms, a scientific report released on Tuesday said.

The 200 page report by a Queensland state government scientist found that the world's largest coral reef had already suffered significant degradation and recommended restrictions on the sale of fertilisers and pesticides to cane farmers.

Cane farmers have previously denied responsibility for problems on the reef, but Queensland premier Peter Beattie said the report was conclusive.

"The fact is that there is damage to the reef and we need to take appropriate action," Beattie told reporters.

The report found that even though cane farms accounted for only 1.1 percent of the catchment area that drains into the massive coral reef off Australia's east coast, they were responsible for most damage.

Report author Joe Baker, chief scientist at the Queensland department of primary industries, said the bulk of the damage was so far confined to the inner reef closest to the coast but it would spread to the outlying reef unless prompt action was taken.

"The inner reefs are showing very significant signs of degradation and I think that's a warning signal that we can't continue to do what we are doing," he said.

Largest living organism

The Great Barrier Reef, covering more than 345 000 square kilometres, is considered the world's largest living organism and is one of Australia's main tourist attractions.

Excess nutrients kill off the tiny organisms responsible for creating the coral and provide food for the parasitic crown of thorns starfish, which eat coral and have already destroyed large areas of the reef.

Baker's recommendations include preventing cane farmers from purchasing fertilisers unless they have an approved management plan for handling nutrient run-off.

Baker said that in the past 15 years the amount of sediment going from rivers into the reef had increased about four times, nitrogen levels had increased at least three times while phosphorous had more than doubled.

The reef is also under threat from coral bleaching caused by rising sea temperatures. The federal opposition expressed fears Tuesday that oil exploration and drilling could cause further damage.

Opposition environment spokesperson Kelvin Thomson called on the government to support his proposal for a law banning oil exploration near the reef.

Thomson said the law was needed after the government last year said it was not legally able to ban an application by Norwegian company TGS-NOPEC to conduct a series of seismic tests near the reef.

"If the government is serious about protecting the Great Barrier Reef from oil exploration and drilling, it will support this bill," he said. - Sapa-AFP

- SAPA