REEF-SCREEN 50+
BID TO SAVE CORAL FROM SUN-SMART VISITORS
A CASSOWARY Coast councillor is leading the charge to make tour operators stock coral-friendly sunscreen which is safe for use on the Great Barrier Reef.
Cr Glenn Raleigh is putting together a motion to the Local Government Association of Queensland he hopes will spur on legal changes to ensure tourists on all reef trips were not further damaging the reef by using chemical-laden sunscreen.
Sunscreen ingredient oxybenzone absorbs the sun’s ultraviolet radiation and protects human skin but is also toxic to the algae that live within coral.
The algae gives coral its colour, provides it with oxygen and helps remove coral waste.
“The motion is to really identify which sunscreen products are safe for the coral, and get the state government to mandate this to give the reef the best chance of survival,” Cr Raleigh said.
“My division alone covers about 10 per cent of the Great Barrier Reef. It’s important we take a stand on this.”
Some reef operators including Reef Magic Cruises, Quicksilver Group and Fitzroy Island Adventures already use and sell marine-friendly sunscreen.
Reef Magic Cruises sales and marketing general manager Jeff Cameron-Smith said his company goes “one better and also issues full length Lycra suits to all guests at no charge” removing the need for sunscreen. “As a responsible Advanced Eco Certified operator we do everything in our power to remove any stresses or impact our operations may have on the health of the Great Barrier Reef,” he said.
Last year, Hawaii’s government proposed a bill banning oxybenzone-containing sunscreen in the state.