Environmentalists and tourism operators on the Great Barrier Reef say authorities must enforce stricter pollution standards on cruise liners visiting the world heritage area amid growth in passenger cruise numbers and concern that ships are dumping toxins into the water.
The Whitsunday Conservation Council says the definition of “waste” used to prevent marine discharge on the reef – which dates back to the 1970s – does not restrict discharge from sulphur “scrubbers” that have become commonplace in the shipping industry.
The systems are designed to lower sulphur emissions in the atmosphere. Scrubbers dump the chemicals removed from the exhaust directly into the sea.
“In our area alone, cruise ship visits have significantly increased yet little … is known about the damage the pollution is doing to our inshore reefs,” says Trevor Rees, a bareboat operator from the Whitsunday region who sits on the local marine advisory committee.
“We also have no idea what impact these discharges are having on our water quality and wildlife, but we do know it can’t be good, based on other studies from around the world.”
The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority says scrubbers have “minimal effect on the marine environments” and that the discharge is quickly diluted to undetectable levels, but acknowledges that “assessments of this hazard have not been specific to the context of the reef and sensitive habitats”.
A 2021 study of the impact of scrubber washwater on pelagic copepods found scrubber effluent “more toxic than crude oil” and suggested that the systems could “act as witch’s cauldrons where undesired toxic compounds form”.
Concerns have also been raised about the sheer volume of washwater potentially being dumped in sensitive marine environments.
Tony Fontes, a Whitsundays dive operator and president of the Whitsunday Conservation Council, says concerns about cruise ship pollution have “effectively fallen on deaf ears”. He said the group was “surprised and disappointed” by the attitude of the marine park authority “given their number one priority is to protect the health and biodiversity of the reef”.
In addition to concerns about scrubbers, conservationists also say vessels with “grade A” sewage systems are not restricted from discharging grey water near sensitive reef environments.
They are calling for modern regulations that would require ships to retain grey water and scrubber effluent in holding tanks while inside the marine park, and a requirement for ships to use carbon offsets to account for their emissions.
“Look, no one is suggesting we ban the cruise ship industry, we just want them to clean up their act,” Fontes said.“And, believe it or not, this can be done fairly easily.”
The GBRMPA says cruise ship permissions have increased since 2018 and that restrictions apply to shipping to safeguard the environment.
It says ships are required to stay 500m from reefs “unless in a designated shipping area”. Other measures include designated anchorages and limits on the numbers of ships that can use them.
“The Great Barrier Reef is recognised locally, nationally and internationally as an iconic tourism experience,” a spokesperson for the authority said.
“The reef authority supports ecologically sustainable cruise ship operations in the marine park and has strict regulations in place for cruise ships.
“All ships in the Great Barrier Reef marine park must comply with international pollution prevention regulations.”
