UN recommends Great Barrier Reef be listed ‘in danger’
The Great Barrier Reef should be listed as ‘in danger,’ the U.N. says
The world's biggest coral reef ecosystem
has suffered three major coral bleaching events since 2015
The U.N.'s cultural body UNESCO said action was needed
to counter the effects of climate change
The move has been criticized by the Australian government
Australia has lobbied for years to stay off the endangered list
as it could lead to the reef losing its World Heritage Site status
taking some of the shine off its attraction for tourists
Location: Lizard Island, Australia
(SOUNDBITE) (English) AUSTRALIA'S MINISTER FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, SUSSAN LEY, SAYING:"I will stand up in any community and I do, and say that we have the best managed reef in the world, the gold standard and no one has contradicted me yet. So this decision was flawed, clearly there were politics behind it, clearly those politics have subverted a proper process and for the World Heritage Committee to not even foreshadow this listing is, I think, appalling."
