Useful Information > Coral Reef Charters and the Environment

Weather | What to bring | While you're aboard | Coral Reef Charters and the Environment

Boating and the Environment.

Boating in the Whitsundays is a pleasurable activity enjoyed by many thousands of people each year. The popularity of bareboat charter holidays has exploded in recent times, with a distinct gravitation from yachts to motor cruisers. This has resulted in a larger number of people per boat and consequently a greater demand on the environment of the beautiful Whitsunday island group. The Great Barrier Reef is one of Australia's most valuable natural assets. One of the seven natural wonders of the world, the necessity to protect this unique part of the planet is now at the forefront of government thinking. The demand for better information about the Great Barrier Reef has never been greater or more pressing.

Marine biodiversity on the Great Barrier Reef is close to the highest in the world, the Reef is the largest World Heritage area and Australia's number one tourism destination. The productivity commission recently estimated that the worth of tourism to the Great Barrier Reef region to be about $4 billion. The Reef supports the people of Queensland in many ways, fishing and tourism is both popular and profitable. Shipping provides important services and the value of the Whitsunday Passage in terms of reduced travel time for freight has been estimated to be in excess of one billion dollars. The Great Barrier Reef is more than it's coral beds, fish and seagrass, although this is what most people see as it's principal attraction. The Reef is also a very important area from environmental, cultural, economic and social perspectives.

Many of the world's coral reefs are under great pressure from human activity such as global warming, limestone mining, pollution and destructive fishing and sentiment runoff. In contrast, the Great Barrier Reef remains in good condition, however, there are problems with water quality. Coral bleaching and crown of thorns starfish are two of the most insidious and on going difficulties and are receiving enormous research to try and eliminate both problems. In parts of the large geographic extent of the Great Barrier Reef, damage has been so severe that it is unlikely the reef will ever restore itself. The protection of the Great Barrier Reef has never been more important than now.

What Are We Doing

Major management initiatives underway, included the Great Barrier Reef Water Quality Protection Plan that aims to halt the decline in water quality, due to water contaminated with fertilisers and effluent running to the ocean from Great Barrier Reef catchments. The representative areas program is gradually increasing through out the reef, which will increase protection across all regions and will be identified as the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park.

This program requires specialist knowledge in a form that is useful to managers and industry. Research providers collaborating can produce this specialist information. The Australian Institute of Marine Science, James Cook University, and Queensland Department of Primary Industry, conduct much of the research needed for reef management. This co- operation also extends to the University of Queensland, Griffith University and the Australian National University. In addition, the Great Barrier Reef Research Foundation plays an important role in raising funds for research to find solutions to the major problems confronting the Great Barrier Reef, as well as similar problems confronting the rest of the world.

Government and industry are making a major effort to work together to ensure the Great Barrier Reef is protected, while providing for its sustainable use. The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, in association with Marine Park tourism operators and state governments all cooperate to take pressure off the Reef and build its resilience to disturbance. All of the organisations mentioned here participate in a knowledge-based partnership of managers to find solutions to help protect the Great Barrier Reef for the long term. A new joint venture with a rainforest and detachment to Reef program will support the Reef water quality protection plan. This set of tests aims to develop better indicators of water quality and improve our ability to measure the deteriation of the reef and provide a timeline which will help determine what measures receive priority. A second initiative will lead to the creation of the Torres Strait Islander protection commission.

It is imperative when boating in the Whitsundays, particularly in the central district, which ranges from the top of Hayman Island to the bottom of the Linderman Island and out as far as Border Island to be aware of the sensitive nature of the park. This area comprises some 74 islands and is under intense pressure from tourism.

Most of the coral beds adjoining and adjacent to the established resorts, and the more popular diving areas have already been denuded. It is a fact, little understood, by many people enjoying the area that coral reefs are a growing body and can be killed with simply the touch of a finger or a swimming fin. It is therefore incumbent on everybody that uses this area to exercise caution and when in the water to try to prevent contact with the coral or for that matter, any of the plant rock or marine life in the area.

Mooring and Anchoring

The other problem associated with boating in this highly sensitive area is mooring and anchoring. In the more sensitive northern part of this central group of islands the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority have placed moorings for the use of the boating fraternity. In many of these areas anchoring close to, or within a designated area is strictly prohibited. If a public mooring is not available, boats will need to find an alternate area in which to anchor away from sensitive areas. In any event, when anchoring, it is important to locate coral beds, both to prevent damage to these beds, and to prevent the anchor from being fouled on a coral bed, thereby preventing it from being retrieved. Polaroid sunglasses are a great help when seeking an area in which to anchor, as they will highlight the coral from the surrounding seagrass and sand areas. So by exercising caution when anchoring, you not only prevent damage to the coral beds in the area, but reduce the likelihood of running aground on coral causing extensive damage to the boat or having the boat swing during the night and come into contact with coral beds that may be 30 or 40 metres away from where there you originally anchored.

Effluent

The other area of concern within the national park is the disposal of rubbish and the introduction of effluent into the waterway is. The vessels that you charter from Coral Reef Charters are all fitted with holding tanks, which will hold effluent and toilet waste whilst you are anchored in sensitive areas. This waste can then be disposed of, whilst you are travelling, preferably in the Whitsunday passage, where the water is quite deep and as a result of the large amount of boating traffic, is regularly turned over. Additionally, there is a very bare minimum of coral reef beds or other bodies within this passage that will be damaged by the introduction of effluent.

Rubbish Disposal

Of course, disposal of rubbish can, and should be done in just one-way, and that is to retain all food scraps and rubbish within the vessel until you return to port and then dispose of it in the correct garbage facilities made available at that port. Anyone caught disposing of rubbish directly into the waterway, will be subject to very large fines and have their charter terminated by the rangers employed by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Some people believe that you can tip certain rubbish, such as prawn and oyster shells back into the sea as these are natural products of the sea, and will be quickly devoured by marine life in the area. However, there are some species on which these foodstuffs have a deadly effect. For this reason, we ask that all food scraps be maintained on board the vessel until you can responsibly dispose of them on your return to port.

Fishing

Fishing is permitted in certain spots. However, the use of stainless steel hooks is forbidden. All tackle should be mild steel, if lost it will rust and dissolves fairly quickly, rather than remain in the area as a constant risk to marine life. A map can be obtained from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority, which will indicate the areas where fishing is permitted. It will also indicate which areas are off limits to fishing and those areas are absolutely sacrosanct.

Yachts v Motor Cruisers

It has been suggested by some that boating activity in the Whitsundays should be restricted to yachts due to the fact that some diesel and petrol residue will be expelled through the exhausts of motorboats into the water. It has been suggested that yachts are a much cleaner and more responsible form of boating and that the area should be restricted solely to yachts, with motor cruisers being prevented from using the area.

What this argument ignores is the fact that most sailing boats spend at least 50% of their time under power, and that whilst it would be wonderful to exclude all powered vessels from the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park area it would lead to the prohibition of this area to the great majority of the public. Remembering that around 5% of the population are able to sail, but 95% can drive a car, and therefore drive a boat. Of course, anybody can be taught to sail, and it has been suggested that anybody wishing to go boating within this area should be taught how to sail, and then use only yachts. Again, we believe this to be impractical as a course to qualify most people to sail a yacht would, in effect, take-up the entire holiday of people wishing to have this type of holiday. It would be an unreasonable restriction, and certainly an impractical suggestion to require anybody to spend weeks or even months training for a particular task that they will only use for couple of weeks.

Perhaps the solution is not in banning motor cruisers, but in policing the type and quality of those boats to remove twenty year-old vessels with twenty-year-old engines, which do indeed spew oil into the water. A policing of the permit provisions could insure that only vessels with a motor of any description be kept in good condition in order to be chartered within the Whitsunday area, and particularly within the central district. The other consideration is that once a diesel motor vessel is up to its operating temperature and if it is operating at its optimum temperature the amount of pollution created by that engine is quite small.

Isolating Certain Areas

It has been further suggested that the answer to the ongoing destruction of the reef is to isolate certain areas completely from tourism thus preserving the Reef in pristine condition for future generations. To a large extent, this is already happening with floating hotels and snorkelling areas being established. This concentrates the bulk of tourism within a very small area of only several hundred metres in diameter. A truly significant achievement. When you consider that the Reef extends for more than 1600 miles and extends almost 20 miles from the coast, to be able to isolate areas of less than one tenth of one square mile for the mass use of tourists is an illustration of the intensity that reputable operators apply to preservation.

Runoff

It is this writer's opinion that in terms of water quality, by far the greatest damage is being done to the Reef by rainwater washing off fertilisers and untreated effluent from homes in the area during heavy rain, which occurs for approximately three months of the year. Until the wash off from crops, and the untreated effluent from homes, is controlled then it is the writer's opinion that no further restrictions can legitimately be applied to small boats. The boating fraternity are an easy target of envy but in reality it is the explosion of housing on some islands, particularly Hamilton Island that pose the greatest threat.