May 1999 Newsletter

LOCAL SURVEY IDENTIFIES PERCEIVED THREATS TO REEF

An extensive telephone survey has revealed how residents feel about the Reef's future

North Queenslanders believe agricultural runoff and Crown- of-thorns starfish are the greatest threats to the Great Barrier Reef according to survey of public perceptions conducted by CRC researchers at James Cook University.

The telephone survey, conducted during 1998, identified a number of perceived threats to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area. The five issues of most concern to local resident groups were oil spills, overfishing, tourists, litter and Crown-of-thorn starfish. The 1551 person sample included boat owners (689), regular fishers (478), farmers (210) and lifetime residents (787).

Surprisingly, of the total sample, only 10% said anchor damage was a serious threat. When asked to rate how much impact different activities were likely to have on the Great Barrier Reef, respondents consistently said recreational fishing and the activities of coastal residents had the least impact. The majority (64%) said they did not do anything that had a negative effect.

They survey included questions about patterns of use in the Marine Park, how people received information about the Reef and what management agencies should do to protect the region. The survey builds on a similar telephone survey of public perceptions conducted in 1996 with residents from capital cities.

The JCU research team are currently analysing the data to profile and describe the perceptions of recreational fishers and farming groups. Results will be published in future newsletter editions.

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