Barrier Reef tourism boss welcomes UNESCOs 12-month probation

Cairns diver and marine scientist Gareth Phillips, who represents 135 marine park tourism operators carrying 95 per cent of visitors to the Great Barrier Reef, has welcomed UNESCO’s decision to grant Australia an extra year to prove it can protect the reef.

“I think it is a very positive result because it means there will be a joint monitoring team come out to the Great Barrier Reef,” said Mr Phillips, who has spent more than 3000 days at sea over the past decade.

Gareth Phillips, head of the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators, has applauded UNESCO’s decision to grant Australia 12 months to prove it can protect the Great Barrier Reef.Credit:Tourism Tropical North Queensland

“The great news here is it strengthens the relationship between Australia, as custodians of the Great Barrier Reef, and UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee to look after this world icon.”

Mr Phillips’ day job is chief executive of the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators, and he also runs a reef environmental monitoring and education business.

But it is his members who are the “canary in the coalmine” for the $6.4 billion industry that accounts for 64,000 tourism-linked jobs generated by myriad islands and coral atolls that make up the Great Barrier Reef.

Recently Mr Phillips took several UNESCO World Heritage Committee ambassadors out to Agincourt Reef off Port Douglas, however he didn’t see it as influencing the vote.

Marine biologist Gareth Phillips (pictured) says it made sense to take UNESCO ambassadors to the reef before the vote. Credit:Tourism Tropical North Queensland

“It just gave them the opportunity to ‘talk outdoors’ and see the reef for themselves,” he said.

“We know that climate change is an issue for coral reefs around the world â€" including the Great Barrier Reef â€" so let’s go have a look and have a chat and strengthen what we are already doing.”

Mr Phillips admits coral bleaching in 2016, 2017 and 2020 shook his optimism.

“It did break my heart that we did have consecutive mass bleaching events [2016 and 2017], and it does set an alarm that globally we need to see a change,” he said.

“But understanding that the world is not continuing in a ‘business as usual’ manner has buoyed my optimism.”

But reef visitor numbers are still not good, he said. More than 70 per cent of reef-tour business comes from international tourists, and COVID-19 has decimated their arrivals in Australia.

“That makes up about 80 to 85 per cent of revenue for us. The domestic market makes up 30 per cent, and with the current lockdowns, we are between 70 per cent to 93 per cent down .”

Overall though, Mr Phillips says reef conditions have improved, as the recent report about coral cover by the Australian Institute of Marine Science shows.

“It doesn’t mean there aren’t areas that have been severely impacted and have not recovered as well, but there are still significant locations that are doing very well.”

Gareth Phillips believes the science of climate change.

“It is having a massive impact on all coral reefs on the planet, and the Great Barrier Reef â€" being the best-managed reef in the world â€" is no exception,” he said.

“Recent impacts have certainly highlighted that, but seeing the record recovery that we have seen been verified by AIMS is great because that is what we are seeing physically with our eyes.”

On Friday night in China, UNESCO gave Australian conservation authorities 12 months to prove the existing Reef 2050 policies are protecting the asset.

The first step is a report from the federal and Queensland governments by February 1 next year.

Recent border closures and COVID outbreaks are slashing reef visitor numbers from New South Wales and Victoria, in addition to international tourists.Credit:Tourism and Events Queensland

The Great Barrier Reef was added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1981 for its “superlative natural beauty”.

Imogen Zethoven, a consultant for the Australian Marine Conservation Society, said UNESCO’s ruling is critical.

“It puts the Morrison government, as custodians of our reef, on probation,” she said.

“The responsibility lies with them to reduce emissions in line with limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees centigrade, a level recognised by scientists as a crucial threshold for coral reefs.”

Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley said the Australian government sought the extension believing the original vote was flawed.

“Our concern was always that UNESCO had sought an immediate ‘in-danger listing’ without appropriate consultation, without a site visit, and without all the latest information, ” she said.

“And it is clear that this process has concerned not only Australia but other nations as well.”

Tony Moore is a senior reporter at the Brisbane Times

Share this post