The Australian Academy of Sciences has predicted a draft plan to protect the Great Barrier Reef will not be effective.
The Academy believes the plan will fail to effectively reduce the consequences associated with key stressors such as "climate change, poor water quality, coastal development and fishing."
"The science is clear, the Reef is degraded and its condition is worsening. This is a plan that won't restore the reef, it won't even maintain it in its already diminished state," said Academy Fellow, Professor Terry Hughes. "It is also more than disappointing to see that the biggest threat to the reef - climate change - is virtually ignored in this plan,"
The plan will work to reduce agricultural runoff, but these efforts will most likely be overshadowed by coal ports and Queensland's plan to double agricultural production by 2040.
"The future of this national treasure, which generates over $5 billion per annum for the Australian economy, depends on less pollution from runoff and dredging, less carbon emissions from fossil fuels, and less fishing pressure," Hughes said.
Research has shown the reef is under "significant pressure," which may be exacerbated by recent policy and legislative changes and Australia having no mechanism available to reduce carbon emissions.
The Plan will then be submitted to the World Heritage Centre in late January 2015, for consideration at the 39th session of the World Heritage Committee, the Australian Government Department of the Environment reported.
"In 2050 the Great Barrier Reef continues to demonstrate the Outstanding Universal Value for which it was listed as a World Heritage Area and supports a wide range of sustainable economic, social, cultural and traditional activities," the Department of the Environment stated in their statement on the report, which remained open for comment until Oct. 27, 2014. The plan will be submitted to the Partnership Group for revision and then to the Great Barrier Reef Ministerial Forum for endorsement later this year.
