The tourism industry wakes up to climate risks of reef

The declaration has already attracted dozens of signatories among tourism businesses and adds to local calls for a local government climate action like Douglas Shire's council.

Imogen Zethoven, director of the company's reef campaign, said: "in shock" after the first episode of massive coral bleaching in 2016, and had resisted discussions on climate change.

But a second fight in 2017 has recognized that a warmed planet "is an existential threat to the reef and the"

Tony Fontes, a Dive Operator based in the Whitsundays since the 1980s, called the change of The AMPTO "a big step forward"

"It's late but it happens," said Mr. Fontes. "Basically, we need a mass campaign" to protect the reef.

Remains to be seen to where the tourist industry will go with the anti-Adani campaign.

Bob Manning, mayor of the Cairns Regional Council, doubt the opposition La giant mine Carmichael proposed by the miner in the Galilee Basin "no "

Yet," Adani has not done us any favors abroad, "said Manning. "It's hard for us to say that we manage the reef responsibly … but at the same time we let these coal ships through."

A spokeswoman for Adani said that the company remained "100% engaged in Carmichael"

"Strict standards of safety and the environment that already govern shipping along the Queensland coast will ensure no repercussions on the Great Barrier Reef, "she said

Ian Macfarlane, managing director of the Queensland Resources Council, said the coal basin "is a high-energy, low-emission coal compared to lower-grade, higher-emission coals from Indonesia and India." According to Mark Read, Acting Director of Field Management to the Authority of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, the new position of the tourism industry comes just in time. The number of visitors is rebounding to record levels.

"These are the people who spend their life hunting people, who have lived and breathed and tried to make a living in these difficult times, "said Dr. Read. Still, the authority is not able to discuss Australian coal brakes, like the Adani mine.

Climate change "is the thing that the world community needs most to attack if we want to … give The reef is a real chance for a long-term future," said Dr. Read.

The author went to the Great Barrier Reef with the kind permission of the Climate Council.