WANTING T O KEEP ANCHORS AWAY
A MAGNETIC Island marine scientist is calling for community help to better protect what she says are the jewels in the island’s tourism crown.
James Cook University PhD candidate Blanche D’Anastasi says there is a State Government funding opportunity to secure reef protection markers and moorings at the reefs of Arthur Bay and Florence Bay.
Ms D’Anastasi said the reefs were under threat from recreational boaties who were accidentally colliding with the reef and damaging coral by dropping or dragging anchors over the fragile plate and flower corals.
The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service has $ 2.375 million in funding up until 2019 to expand its public mooring and reef protection program in the northern Great Barrier Reef.
The Magnetic Island projects would deliver new reef protection markers signalling no anchoring areas at Arthur Bay and new moorings for vessels up to 10m long. The moorings would enable boats to tie up close to the reef without having to drop anchor.
The projects are listed as medium priority and are dependent on public feedback to determine whether they will go ahead.
Ms D’Anastasi said the markers and moorings would make the reefs much safer for snorkellers.
“These are the most spectacular reefs on Magnetic Island,” she said. “It’s a really important site for a lot of tourism companies.
Ms D’Anastasi lived on the island for nearly two years and noticed an increase in broken coral trails in holiday seasons when recreational boat users were out in number.
“We know it’s not every boatie and we know they don’t mean to do it,” she said.
Ms D’Anastasi urged people to head to the Magnetic Island Reef Protection Facebook page to fill out the survey as the feedback period closes on August 31.