Management Concern: Low     Adequacy of Information: Good

Summary extracts from Outlook Report 2009

• Only a small proportion of non-commercial fish species are monitored. For most species that are monitored, the populations appear stable. Exceptions may include groups of species that are influenced by decreases in predator numbers and groups of species influenced by the effects of declining water quality.
  
• There is now a range of mandatory and voluntary management arrangements that minimise the impact of commercial marine tourism operations in the Great Barrier Reef, such that impacts associated with tourism activities are seen as minor.

What do we know? (relevant pages from Outlook Online)

• Fish diversity in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park
  
• The effects of marine reserve protection on trophic relationships
  
• Abundance patterns of predatory fishes
  
• Effects of rezoning on biomass of coral trout
  
• Concern for grey mackerel and garfish [0.4Mb]
  
• Australian Institute of Marine Science Long Term Monitoring Program: fish [30Mb]
  
• Reef fish species richness and abundance  (generated from Australian Institute of Marine Science data)
  
• e-ATLAS: Fish communities of the Great Barrier Reef - AIMS LTMP data
  
• Marine tourism impacts on the Great Barrier Reef
• Impacts of tourism and recreational use on the Great Barrier Reef
• Impacts of fish feeding at tourist pontoons
  

Existing policies and management actions

• Permit conditions for specific activities
  
• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Zoning Plan
  
• High standard tourism operations 
• Ecocertification of Marine Park operators
• Policies and guidelines for managing tourism and recreational use
• Responsible Reef Practices 

Future management requirements

• Draft Queensland Coastal Management Plan
• Biodiversity strategy
• Overarching Great Barrier Reef Tourism Strategy
• Great Barrier Reef Recreation Strategy

Defined research questions

• There are currently no defined research questions for this topic. Research questions will be developed, giving priority to interactions/issues that are of most concern to management.

Current Research and Monitoring