Millions pledged to save the Great Barrier Reef, but scientists say it won't solve the problem
Following bad news after bad news for the Great Barrier Reef, the Australian government has pledged a large sum of money for its preservation.
More than A$500 million (US$379 million) has been been promised in a funding package to protect and restore the reef.
SEE ALSO: The Great Barrier Reef may never recover from the devastating 2016 heat wave
The money will be used for improving water quality, mitigating coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish, and general reef restoration.
"We'll be improving the monitoring of the reef's health and the measurement of its impacts," environment minister Josh Frydenberg told ABC News. "The more we understand about the reef, the better we can protect it."
Despite the government's promises, scientists and campaigners say the money isn't addressing the biggest problem for the reef: Climate change.
Corals have suffered back-to-back bleachings as a result of increased sea temperatures. At the same time, the acidification of oceans from the burning of fossil fuels compounds the reef's challenges.
"Science is well aware of what is killing coral on the Great Barrier Reef," Bill McKibben, environmentalist and 350.org founder, said in a statement. "It's the excess heat that comes from burning fossil fuels. If the Turnbull government was serious about saving the Reef they would be willing to take on the industry responsible for the damage."
Australia's independent not-for-profit Climate Council concurred, with councillor and ecologist Lesley Hughes calling the move a "golden bandaid."
“If we do not do something to address the root cause of the problem, then the Federal Government’s $500 million measures are nothing more than a golden bandaid," said Hughes in a statement.
Terry Hughes, who authored a study on the collapse of the reef's ecosystems after a devastating 2016 marine heat wave, wrote on Twitter that the challenge of climate change won't be solved by "killing a few starfish in Queensland."
Let's be clear about this - cyclones and monster starfish are a distraction. https://t.co/YeW6ymNDok pic.twitter.com/ewUCjph792
— Terry Hughes (@ProfTerryHughes) April 29, 2018
Tragic and hopeless. Some $ is better than none, but the Great Barrier Reef will not survive unless we urgently limit temperature increases, by foregoing coal & moving to renewables. If @TurnbullMalcolm was genuine about saving the Reef he’d do something about climate change. https://t.co/OqJaHQ37fW
— Peter Garrett (@pgarrett) April 29, 2018
Near the reef, a proposal for one the world's largest coal mines by Indian energy conglomerate Adani continues to be raised by critics for its danger to the reef.
"To simultaneously promote Adani’s coal mine, which would be one of the world’s largest, pretending to care about the world’s largest Reef is an acrobatic feat only cynical politicians would attempt," McKibben added.
The Australian Marine Conservation Society and Australian Academy of Science welcomed the additional funding, but stressed it would be for nothing if climate change isn't addressed.
We welcome the investment in the #GBR, particularly funding for science to support Reef resilience & adaptation, but the science advises us the #GBR is highly vulnerable to climate change. We urge the government to address the cause of the problem #auspol https://t.co/0F97EDNj3h
— Australian Academy of Science (@Science_Academy) April 29, 2018