Joint media release: $1.4 million to tackle coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish

Senator The Hon Murray Watt, Minister for the Environment and Water
Matt Smith MP, Member for Leichhardt

The Albanese Government is investing an additional $1.4 million to enhance efforts to control crown-of-thorns starfish and protect the Great Barrier Reef.

The native prickly pest has been a major cause of coral loss and habitat degradation across the Great Barrier Reef for more than 40 years, eating a dinner plate-size of coral each day.

The funding will ensure the Crown-of-Thorns Starfish Control Innovation Program (CCIP) can continue. The CCIP provides crucial research to support Australia’s world-leading approach to crown-of-thorns starfish management, including the COTS Control Program.

Since 2012, the COTS Control Program has helped to cull more than 1.4 million of these marine pests – protecting coral across 400 high value reefs.

Managing crown-of-thorns starfish outbreaks is one of the most effective interventions to protect coral and enhance the Reef’s resilience.

It continues to be a cost-effective, scalable action that helps the Reef to be more resilient against threats, including impacts of climate change.

This funding is in addition to the $161.5 million the government provided to support crown-of-thorns starfish control activities delivered by the Reef Authority to 2030, and part of the Albanese Government’s record $1.2 billion investment over 9 years to 2030 to protect and restore the Reef.

Minister for the Environment and Water, Murray Watt said protecting the Great Barrier Reef was a priority for the Albanese Government.

“Climate change is the biggest threat for coral reefs worldwide and it requires a global solution, but we also need to take strong local action to manage local threats," Minister Watt said.

“Australia’s approach to crown-of-thorns starfish control has demonstrated that effectively reducing starfish numbers helps to sustain coral cover across entire reefs and regions.

“This is another important step to protect the Reef – we’re supporting world-leading research to increase action against outbreaks.

“By providing this added $1.4 million in funding, we’re not just restoring the Reef, we’re supporting jobs for Queenslanders too.”

Member for Leichhardt, Matt Smith said since 2012, Australia’s world-leading approach has helped protect the Great Barrier Reef by culling over 1.4 million crown-of-thorns starfish.

“Today this announcement equates to an additional dollar in funding for each starfish terminated to date," Matt Smith said.

“Innovative technologies including underwater surveillance robots and eDNA monitoring tools are now being utilised to assist reef rangers in their vital role.

"The Great Barrier Reef supports over 64 thousand jobs and roughly $6.4 billion in revenue every year. We are the local gatekeepers of this natural wonder.  It is of utmost importance to Australia, and indeed the world, that we do what we can to protect it.”

Images and vision of the crown-of-thorns starfish can be found here.