Our Sea, Our Future
Major findings of the State of the Marine Environment Report for Australia
Compiled by Leon P. Zann
Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, Townsville Queensland
Department of the Environment, Sport and Territories, Canberra (1995)
ISBN 0 642 17391 5
Population: 2.98 million (62% in the Brisbane and Moreton divisions). Coastline: 9,800 km long. Major features are south-eastern (SE) open coasts and bays; Great Barrier Reef region; Torres Strait; and Gulf of Carpentaria. Problem areas include Brisbane and Moreton Bay, Gold Coast, and some regional ports.(6-14),(42-47),(51),(69)
Major State and regional issues include:
- changes in catchment uses
- increase in sediment and nutrient run-off (particularly in GBR lagoon and Moreton Bay)
- coastal strip development in SE (urban,industrial, marinas, agriculture, grazing)
- competing uses of coastal strip
- threats to Great Barrier Reef (water quality, effects of fishing, effects of trawling, tourism developments, crown-of-thorns starfish)
- loss of inshore habitat (mangroves, salt marsh)
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander fishing rights and lack of involvement in management
- protection and preservation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sites of significance
- effects of ports (dredging, oil spills, possible introductions)
- shipping risks through Torres Strait and Great Barrier Reef inner route
- effects of tourism (especially Cairns, Whitsundays, Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast) destruction of cultural heritage sites
- effects of trawling (Moreton Bay, GBR)
- overfishing of some stocks
- recreational fishing and catch sharing (especially in SE)
- discharge of toxic liquid wastes (especially in SE)
- die-back of seagrass (Hervey Bay)
Queensland
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