After participating at the launch of the Great Barrier Reef Clean-up in Townsville, volunteers are set to tackle 11 coastal locations stretching from Cape York to Bundaberg for the initiative’s second leg on October 24 to 25.

The activity is part of a series of marine debris clean-ups across 12 sites, organised by the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA). The first leg covered coastal locations from Rowes Bay to Pallarenda. According to GBRMPA Chairman Dr Russell Reichelt, the reef faces danger from marine debris, and reducing this at a local level can have a positive impact across the whole region.

“Marine debris can harm marine life, pose a navigational hazard and smother coral. It can enter through waterways and drains and eventually make its way out to sea and into the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area,” Reichelt said.

Reichelt stressed the importance of minimising the amount of rubbish especially now, ahead of the wet season. According to him, this is a great opportunity for the whole community to get involved and help tackle the problem.

The Great Barrier Reef Outlook Report 2014 stated that the reef region is widely littered with plastic bags, discarded fishing gear, plastic and glass bottles, rubber thongs, aerosols and drink cans. From 2008 to 2014, volunteers in the Australian Marine Debris Initiative collected close to 700,000 individual items of marine debris weighing over 42 tonnes from the Great Barrier Reef region’s beaches.

“Australia has been recognised by the United Nations World Heritage Committee Chair as a global role model for its management of the Reef,” said Minister for the Environment, Greg Hunt, in an interview with PS News. He also pointed out that the GBRMPA worked extensively with the community to manage the reef to ensure its protection for current and future generations.

From the clean-up activities, data will be gathered and entered into the Australian Marine Debris database to help create a comprehensive overview of the quantity and types of marine debris found along the Australian coastline. This information is important in identifying hotspots along the Great Barrier Reef, as well as the type and origin of the rubbish collected to help create source reduction plans with the local community and the government.

The Great Barrier Reef Clean-up is funded through the Australian Government’s Reef Trust as part of a larger initiative to minimise the source and occurrence of marine debris in the Great Barrier Reef lagoon. It is conducted in partnership with the Australian Marine Debris Initiative, Tangaroa Blue Foundation, Eco Barge and Reef Guardian Councils.

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