Coral protest takes aim at needless reef harvesting
Poppy Johnston |
Eye-catching humanoid “corals” have injected some colour into the workday as performers protested the harvest of the living treasures from the Great Barrier Reef.
Five coral specimens in costume – including one in white to represent bleaching caused by climate change – greeted lunch-goers in Sydney’s Martin Place on Thursday.
The flashy coral costumes were adorned with “clearance sale” tags to be hawked off on the street by comedian Kirsty Webeck to highlight the risks of the coral harvesting export trade.
The Australian Marine Conservation Society, the not-for-profit behind the performance, say it’s a needless practice adding to climate and water quality challenges already threatening the world’s biggest tropical reef.
“This fishery flies under the radar,” AMCS Great Barrier Reef fisheries campaign Manager Simon Miller told AAP.
“We think most Australians will be shocked to know that the Great Barrier Reef is home to Australia’s largest coral fishery.”
“We don’t think this passes the pub test anymore.”
The environmental organisation wants harvesting banned and replaced by marine aquaculture, with some operators already growing coral in tanks to sell to aquarium enthusiasts.
While a relatively small industry, Mr Miller says the 190 tonnes of coral chipped off the reef every year is significant in the context of climate change.
Marine heatwaves and temperature rise have caused mass bleaching events, with research suggesting biodiversity across the reef is in decline and dominated by faster-growing, quick-to-recover species.
The removal of healthy, rare corals favoured by the aquarium trade risks exacerbating diversity decline, Mr Miller said.
Coral harvesting industry proponents say limited entry permits, gear restrictions, catch quotas and other regulations keep the practice sustainable while imposing negligible ecological harm.
Pro-vision Reef, which represents the Great Barrier Reef marine aquarium industry, has been contacted for further comment.
Nearly 80 per cent of Queenslanders surveyed in a YouGov poll said they think government should support the coral fishery industry’s transition from wild harvest to aquaculture.
Live coral imports are banned in a number of countries, including Thailand and Fiji, with some species from the Great Barrier Reef prohibited in the European Union and the United Kingdom.
The Great Barrier Reef’s problems have been in focus as Australia vies to keep it off UNESCO’s “in danger” list, with Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt spruiking a $92 million funding package for the ecological wonder and tourist hotspot on Thursday.
AAP