AMCS: GBR Threatened by “Irresponsible” Dredging (Australia)

Despite the protestations of Queensland’s Deputy Premier, dredging and dumping in the Great Barrier Reef’s waters will cause damage including to the seagrass beds at Abbot Point which will be ripped up if dredging goes ahead, according to the Australian Marine Conservation Society.

AMCS Great Barrier Reef Campaign Director, Felicity Wishart, said the dredging process will throw fine sediments into the water, and scientists have confirmed that these sediments can travel for kilometres, smothering other seagrasses, making the water cloudy and interfering with corals.

The Australian Marine Conservation Society has been working to protect the Great Barrier Reef for more than 45 years, when it opposed those who thought limestone mining and oil drilling on the Reef was a good idea.

“It seems every generation has to fight the good fight for the Reef against ill-conceived development plans. Turning Abbot Point into the world’s largest coal port,  just 50 km from the Whitsundays is only a part of the largest most widespread threat of industrialisation that the Reef has ever faced,” Ms Wishart said.

“AMCS will continue to oppose this mad Conservation Action Planning (CAP) plan because the vast majority of the community of Queensland, Australia and the world do not want to see the Reef turned into an industrial part and a shipping super highway.”

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Press Release, December 18, 2013