8 March 2024: Mass coral bleaching event declared – the Reef’s fifth mass bleaching event in just eight years. A marine heatwave has caused widespread heat stress on the Great Barrier Reef.
16 April 2024: The US Government’s world-leading ocean agency, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), declared the world’s fourth global coral bleaching event.
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Australia must do more to battle climate change and end fossil fuel projects if we are to save the Great Barrier Reef.
“This is one of the most extensive and severe bleaching events to hit our Great Barrier Reef. For the first time, extreme bleaching – where more than 90% of a reef’s coral cover is bleached – has been observed in all three regions of the Great Barrier Reef.” – Dr Lissa Schindler.
More than ever we need strong government action to protect our irreplaceable Reef.
We have the solutions: the Australian and Queensland governments must implement the 22 expert recommendations in UNESCO and IUCN’s reef monitoring report – it’s the clear roadmap to save our iconic Reef.
Urge the government to implement these Reef-saving actions now:
- Cut domestic climate pollution by 75% by 2030, and stop approving new fossil fuel projects. Australia must do its fair share to enact climate policies to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees C – a critical threshold for the survival of coral reefs.
- Improve water quality to meet the 2025 water quality targets by enforcing regulations, repair degraded gullies and restore coastal wetlands
- End tree clearing and protect native vegetation in Reef catchments
- Stop gillnet fishing and monitor trawling catches to protect threatened species such as dugongs and turtles
Our Reef is under immense pressure.
This is the decade to focus on solutions to local threats and meaningful climate action.
The Australian and Queensland governments must implement these actions quickly.
Add your name to let them know you want action taken, we will deliver this petition personally to Federal Environment Minister, Tanya Plibersek.
Header image credit: CoralWatch and Caitlin Lawson. Coral bleaching on GBR March 2024.