In a report published in the journal
Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, reef water quality expert Jon Brodie and fisheries veterinarian Matt Landos said that 50 individual pesticide residues had been detected in the Great Barrier Reef waterways. Eleven of these, including atrazine, exceeded water quality guidelines.
The researchers questioned the practices of the
Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicine Authority (APVMA), which is responsible for the regulation and licensing of chemicals. The pair blamed the agency’s loose pesticide regulation and poor management of the reef catchment areas in Queensland for the contamination of the reef.
Loose regulation enabling use of pesticides banned in other countries