Unexpected Australian icon up for major global award
For the first time, a non-human has been nominated for a prestigious United Nations environmental award.
A group has put the Great Barrier Reef up for a Lifetime Achievement Award – the highest environmental honour from the UN Environment Programme's Champions of the Earth Awards.
A collective called the Reef Guardian Council believes the nomination will "shine a light on one of Earth's most treasured ecosystems and largest living entity".
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The Great Barrier Reef up for a Lifetime Achievement Award. Tourism and Events Queensland
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest living structure and the only living entity visible from space.
It is home to around 9000 different species, including 1500 types of coral, 1600 types of fish, 136 varieties of sharks and rays, and more than 30 species of whales and dolphins.
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The Reef Guardian Council's chair Jeff Baines called it "hands-down the best candidate for a Lifetime Achievement Award".
"We are using the voices of the communities of the Great Barrier Reef to persuade the United Nations Environment Programme to crown the Great Barrier Reef as the first non-human recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of almost 10,000 years of positive environmental impact," said Baines.
The Great Barrier Reef is the world's largest living structure. Tourism and Events Queensland
Asked how a non-human can win the award, he said: "Only living individuals can win, and an individual is defined as a distinct entity, so using Unesco's definition of the Great Barrier Reef as a globally outstanding and significant entity, we argue that the Great Barrier Reef meets the entry requirements."
Great Barrier Reef Foundation managing director, Anna Marsden said the the vast ecosystem isn't just an environmental icon, "it's a living entity that has quietly nurtured life for millennia".
It is home to around 9000 different species, including 1500 types of coral. Tourism and Events Queensland
"This is our moment to give back and honour its contribution with the recognition it deserves while also raising awareness of the ongoing work being done to protect its beauty and biodiversity."
Tourism Tropical North Queensland CEO Mark Olsen has thrown the organisation's weight behind the campaign.
"We see the impact the Great Barrier Reef has on individuals every day – it really is life changing for many people who visit and finally understand how important this World Heritage area is for biodiversity, Indigenous culture and jobs."
This story was originally published by Stuff and has been reproduced here with permission.
