Great Barrier Reef tourism spokesman attacks scientist over slump in visitors

A Queensland tourism representative has called one of the Great Barrier Reef’s leading researchers “a dick”, blaming the professor for a downturn in tourism growth at the state’s greatest natural asset.

 A leading scientist has been accused of exaggerating the damage to the Great Barrier
 Reef, which a tourism representative said had hurt the region’s multibillion-dollar tourism industry. 

Col McKenzie, the head of the Association of Marine Park Tourism Operators, a group that represents more than 100 businesses in the Great Barrier Reef, has written to the federal government asking it to stop funding the work of Professor Terry Hughes, claiming his comments were “misleading” and damaging the tourism industry.

But the Australian Conservation Foundation said tourism representatives and operators like McKenzie should stop blaming scientists for reporting what was happening to the reef and start targeting major polluters to ensure change.

Read the story by Amy Remeikis from The Guardian - “Great Barrier Reef tourism spokesman attacks scientist over slump in visitors.”

(Each of us needs to do all we can to support the likes of Professor Terry Hughes and disarm those with vested interests - Robert McLean)