SYDNEY, Australia (25 June 2004) -- HUNDREDS of Queensland fishermen who ply the calm waters of the Great Barrier Reef are bracing themselves for economic ruin starting next week when expanded no-go zones come into effect. But submerged nearby in coral gardens, scientists are conducting ground-breaking bio-research that holds out the promise of cures for diseases and other medical advances in this fast-growing sector. They may very well be working alongside scuba divers, snorkelers and cruising day trippers who propel the $4.3 billion tourist industry, which has applauded the greatly enhanced protection of the reef and believes the advent of low-cost airlines heralds a boom period for travellers. But environmental threats – both locally and globally generated – remain a very real worry for all those whose livelihood depends on the health of the World Heritage-listed 348,000sq km marine park. Just this week a report found that the reef had lost about half of its coral cover since the 1960s and remained in rapid decline. Scientists believe global warming will lead to rising sea temperatures and coral bleaching, while pesticide-tainted sediment from farms will continue to harm water quality despite legal limits set to take effect next year. And the spectre of oil rigs rising from the waters returned this week when the Federal Government released its energy policy and north Queensland Liberal MP Peter Lindsay suggested that widespread drilling might start on the Eastern, Marion and Townsville plateaus. Petroleum producers quickly distanced themselves from the idea. Few doubt that the future of commerce in and around the reef remains intimately entwined with the goal of preserving the unique marine environment which stretches for more than 2000km along the Queensland coast. But can economic growth and environmental sustainability be reconciled? And if so, where will the growth areas occur over the next decade? In a nutshell, tourism and biotechnology are likely to thrive in harmony with the delicate marine eco-system over the next 10 years while the $200 million commercial fishing industry is certain to shrink. Fisherman Neil Green will set out in his 4.1m fibreglass boat next week, set 50 mudcrab pots with mullet heads as bait and worry that his career is going to soon end. He's now in his 30th year of taking crabs and barramundi in Bowling Green Bay about 30km south of Townsville. But Green – one of the state's 3700 professional fishers who operate 1400 boats and ships – believes new conservation areas to protect the reef are likely to end his time in the bay's shallow waters. The new zones, which take effect from July 1, will cover about a third of the reef (up from just 4.7 per cent now) and are designed to protect biodiversity. Green says seven of 13 full-time operators in nearby Ayr will be affected. This in turn will render shops unviable. With a wife, 6-year-old daughter and more than $100,000 in equipment, the 45-year-old fisherman does not know what he will do. "I can't see that you can survive . . . we're devastated," he says. Federal Environment Minister David Kemp says a compensation package has yet to be finalised. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority estimates that changes will slice up to to $13.6 million from the commercial fishing industry's annual revenue. However, it will help rejuvenate fish stocks and protect the environment. The Queensland Seafood Industry Association, however, argues that the zones are overkill. "You could have achieved the protection of biodiversity at far less cost to the fishing industry," QSIA chief executive Duncan Souter says. Souter predicts about 350 jobs will go, including crew on boats and jobs in seafood processing and retailing. He also doubts whether fish in the green zones will spill over into the new catch areas in adequate numbers. | | TIDAL change ... its fishing days are numbered but the Great Barrier Reef has a bright future with tourism and bio research. By contrast, the fortunes of tourism operators look much brighter. More than 9 million visitors visited the region in the June 2003 year, providing employment for more than 33,000 workers. The park authority has forecast that tourists will spend another $62.2 billion over the next 20 years. That's good news for entrepreneurs such as David Hutchen, who started Fantasea cruises in Airlie Beach 21 years ago to service the Whitsunday Islands and has built it up into one of the biggest boating operations on the reef. Today he has 10 boats, 200 staff and turns over $25 million a year. Hutchen, who also serves as chairman of the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators, welcomes the new no-fishing zones and is convinced that the single biggest growth engine for his industry over the next decade will be the advent of budget airlines Virgin Blue and Jetstar. "I think we're entering a boom period," Hutchen says. Tourism analyst Dean Dransfield agrees that cheap flights will produce a domino effect, bringing more people to the region and driving demand for holiday-related services. "As a general sentiment, we think improved and reasonably priced air access to the region with a strong leisure focus and perceived reduced real cost of a holiday augurs well," Dransfield says. Noel Scott, a lecturer in the School of Tourism and Leisure Management at the University of Queensland, says the phenomenon of budget carriers will spread across Asia in the next decade, making cheap holidays in prime destinations such as the reef even more attractive. That is sure to help the island resorts, many of which have reported a return to profitability after several lean years weighed down by the September 11 terror attacks, SARS and the war in Iraq. Cairns is destined to remain the primary entry point to the reef, with its international airport and a $47 million upgrade to its port facilities last year. Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island are also likely to remain key points of arrival. But Dransfield says that Townsville and Rockhampton may also see greater tourist development in the years ahead as access improves. Bruce Prideaux, a professor of marketing and tourism management at James Cook University in Cairns, believes that even overlooked areas such as Mackay and Cooktown are ripe for attention. Less visible but arguably the most exciting business prospect depending on the marine park's 2900 reefs and 300 coral cays are the companies engaged in "bio- prospecting". The potential windfall is unclear and commercialisation remains elusive. But Professor Rob Capon, from UQ's Institute for Molecular Bioscience, says work is in the pipeline, such as Brisbane-based biotech Xenome's work on a painkiller developed from marine coneshell venom. SOURCE - The Courier-Mail |
