Fears for health of Great Barrier Reef

Industrial development at Gladstone Harbour, on the fringes of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, is poisoning the sea, according to local fishermen.

Fishermen claim much of their catch is diseased, making it impossible to sell. Instead, all that is being caught now are samples to send for scientific analysis.

UNESCO, the United Nations body that includes Gladstone Harbour and Curtis Island in its Great Barrier Reef “world heritage area”, is also worried. They have sent a delegation to Australia to see if their “extreme concern” is justified.

Al Jazeera’s Andrew Thomas reports from Gladstone, Australia.