Putting the Great Back into a Reef

Published on Apr 29, 2015 by Luke Hunt

This story first appeared in The Edge ReviewBy LUKE HUNT / Lady Elliot IslandAustralia’s reputation as the Lucky Country blessed by sunshine and idyllic beaches has taken a cyclonic beating over recent years. Massive storm systems over Southeast Queensland hammered the Great Barrier Reef (GBR), devastating coral cover and it has struggled to recover ever since.But scientists also noticed that the reef’s ability to rehabilitate itself was beinghampered by dredging and harmful farming practices with excess nutrients in the water leading to coral bleaching and encouraging the reef’s biggest threat, the coral-eating crown of thorns star fish, to breed in uncontrollable numbers.Then plans for a major expansion of the port facilities at Gladstone to handle increased coal exports upset environmentalists....

Hunt for Rare Indochina Wildlife

Published on Apr 19, 2015 by Luke Hunt

Way out on the remote borders that divide Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam sits the Virachey National Park (VNP), one of the last bastions for endangered Indochinese wildlife and the focus of scientific attention for groups like HabitatID.Greg McCann, a field coordinator with HabitatID, said his latest field trip into the region to retrieve photos from a batch of 21 camera traps hidden in the forests had been a success, with his finds countering arguments that the park had been poached into an “empty forest.”Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..

Fight to Save the Reef

Published on Apr 19, 2015 by Luke Hunt

In the coming months, the United Nations and the Australian government will square off over whether to list the Great Barrier Reef as endangered. Environmentalists said the unique marine park is threatened by development and needs stronger safeguards. The Australian government insists it is already a responsible caretaker of the landmark.Read and hear more from Luke Hunt at Voice of America .

Fight to Save The Great Barrier Reef

Published on Apr 12, 2015 by Luke Hunt

In Australian political parlance “robust discussions” often borders on gang war typified by self-interest and an armada of lawyers, politicians, and lobby groups whose inability to find common ground is too often undermined by a win-at-all-costs mentality.In recent years, attitudes to asylum seekers arriving unannounced along the coastline, drastic spending cuts by the ruling conservatives, and even drugs in sport have bought out the worst in a nation that thrives on immigration, government subsidies, and Olympic success.There are, however, exceptions. The Great Barrier Reef is one. The World Heritage Committee has managed to bring stakeholders together in a rare display of unity, with the result that an A$2 billion ($1.5 billion), 10-year plan has been announced to ensure the future....

Stunning Honesty From Sarawak's New Chief Minister

Published on Nov 30, 2014 by Luke Hunt

Finally, after decades of allegations and overwhelming evidence, the new chief minister of Sarawak in East Malaysia Adenan Satem, has called a spade a spade and denounced the state’s illegal timber merchants and some of its law enforcement officers as “corrupt.”Read more from Luke Hunt in The Diplomat..