Australia spells out plans to protect Great Barrier Reef

[WorldNews]

View attachment 18972​

Australia detailed on Monday how it will ban dumping of all dredge soil in the Great Barrier Reef as it looks to step up protection of the world's largest reef and avoid having it listed by UNESCO as "in danger". UNESCO's World Heritage Committee is due to decide in June whether to put the reef on its "in danger" list because its corals have been badly damaged and some of its animal species, including dugong and large green turtles, are threatened. Such a listing could lead to restrictions on shipping and port expansions that could hit Australia's trade in commodities and energy. The Queensland state government also plans to ban dredge dumping in a further 3,000 sq km of sea, including port areas, so the whole of the World Heritage area, about the size of Germany, would be covered.

Continue reading...