Great Barrier Reef Tour Operators "Urged" To Cut Graywater And Toxic Sulfur Dumping Inside The Park
Ed. - Yes, a good stiff urging will surely do the job!! 
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.
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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.
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https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/dec/01/cruise-ships-urged-to-clean-up-their-act-amid-concerns-toxic-effluent-being-dumped-on-great-barrier-reef