Dredging up Another Bogus Threat

Despite half a century of reef “experts” chanting a continuous litany of imminent threats to the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) none has proved to be other than trivial or temporary. The threat de jour is dredging in connection with port developments for the gas and mining industries.  Is this one any more real than the previous non-events, or is it just another grab for public attention and funding by the reef salvation industry?