Conservation and tourism team up to support more Reef 'green zones'
16 Jun 2003
CAIRNS: Director of WWF International's Endangered Seas Program , Dr Simon Cripps, and Executive Director of the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators , Mr Col McKenzie, have joined together to express strong support for more marine sanctuaries (green zones) throughout the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.
Dr Simon Cripps, in Cairns for two workshops on marine protected areas and fisheries management, said that the draft zoning plan released by the Federal Environment Minister on 2 June 2003 was internationally highly significant and showed that Australia was at the global forefront of protecting threatened marine environments, such as coral reef ecosystems.
Dr Cripps said that Great Barrier Reef was an international icon for Australia and people around the world would be more likely to visit Australia and North Queensland in particular if the Reef was well protected.
"Over 60% of people who visit the Great Barrier Reef are from overseas," Dr Cripps said. "With a high level of protection, the Great Barrier Reef may have the resilience to cope with the global threat of climate change and coral bleaching, and still attract hundreds of thousands of tourists to Australia every year."
"The tourism industry is by far the biggest industry associated with the Great Barrier Reef, with an estimated 36,000 people employed in the industry along the Reef coastline, generating approximately $1.4 billion for the Australian economy each year" Col McKenzie said.
Tourism and conservation sectors believe the current extent of green zones - 4.6% of the Marine Park - is totally inadequate to protect the world's largest and most diverse reef system.
"The tourism industry relies on a healthy reef; our ecological footprint is very small and the vast majority of tour operators strongly support a much higher level of protection for the Reef" Mr McKenzie said.
Dr Cripps said that Australia had led the world in the 1970s by establishing the world's largest marine park, and again in the 1980s by establishing the world's largest World Heritage Area. "The Reef rezoning represents the next wave of marine conservation" he said.
"WWF believes the draft plan released by the Federal Government is a wonderful step forward. It proposes that 32.5 per cent of the Marine Park be highly protected. WWF-Australia is working with the tourism industry and local reef residents to make the final plan even better," he said.
Mr McKenzie said AMPTO was urging tour operators to send submissions to the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority calling for large areas to be highly protected.
Dr Cripps urged the public to visit the WWF Great Barrier Reef Campaign website and send a submission to GBRMPA calling for around 50% of the Marine Park to be highly protected.
Media inquiries: Imogen Zethoven, WWF-Australia, Mobile 0414 950 959
To find out more about AMPTO:
AMPTO
Tel: +61 7 4044 4990
Fax: +61 7 4044 4950
Mob: 0417 600 055
colmckenzie@ampto.com.au
