Coal harbor threat to Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef in northern Australia was declared UNESCO World Heritage in 1981. It is home to 625 types of fish, 133 varieties of sharks and rays, numerous species of jellyfish, molluscs, worms and more than 30 varieties of whales and dolphins. But for decades the reef and its rich biodiversity have been struggling against pollution and human interference.

Since 1984, the port at Abbot Point in northern Australia has exported coal to the world. Now the government has approved plans to extend it. Three million cubic meters of sand and mud are to be dredged and dumped elsewhere, inside the marine park. Experts including ex- reef conservation chief Jon Day say this could have a disastrous impact on the reef and call for alternatives to be considered.

In various complex stages, the Australian government has approved the port expansion. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority gave its approval to the disposal of the dredge spoil in the marine Park. Ultimately, the port should handle the shipping of some 120 million tons of coal per year. This would make Abbot Point the biggest port south of the equator.

The port expansion would provide coal for India in particular. The Indian energy companies GVK und Adani-Group along with the mining company Hancock Prospecting plan to mine huge quantities of coal from the Galilee Basin in Queensland and ship it to India via Abbot Point .

The planned port expansion could cause severe damage to the corals for which the reef is famous. Studies have shown that the dredge spoil could suffocate corals, which are already under pressure from climate change. These corals are suffering from bleaching through warmer water. Increasing severe storms have also caused massive damage in recent years.

Global change is already making life difficult for many marine creatures, such as the turtles who breed on islands in the Great Barrier Reef. The sex of their offspring depends on the temperature of the sand. If it continues to rise, researchers say there could be a feminization of the turtle population of the northern reef within twenty years.

The sugar cane plantations along the north-east Australian coast use pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers. The run-off eventually lands in the sea, where it impacts marine life. Critics of the dredging and dumping plan for Abbot Point say the deteriorating health of the reef should be taken into consideration and any new pressure avoided.