Canberra: Humankind must be "at its best" to protect the iconic Great Barrier Reef from the threats posed by climate change, invasive species and fishing activities, urged Australia's Minister for the Environment and Water on Tuesday.

In a speech to a Great Barrier Reef Foundation (GBRF) event, Murray Watt said that it would be "gross negligence" for Australia to fail to protect the reef, describing it as the country's biggest natural asset.

"The challenges may be immense. But the alternative is losing the reef, and that's not an option," he said.

Watt cited research commissioned by the GBRF that found the Great Barrier Reef contributed more than nine billion Australian dollars (about 6.5 billion US dollars) to the national economy in 2023-24 and supports 77,000 full-time equivalent jobs, making it Australia's fifth-largest employer, reports Xinhua news agency.

He said that the reef is under significant pressure from growing threats, including human-induced climate change, severe weather events, invasive species such as the crown of thorns starfish, poor water quality and some fishing activities.

"Faced with these challenges, humankind must be at its best," he said.

In a report filed with UNESCO in January, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water said that Australia is improving water quality on the reef, managing crown of thorns starfish outbreaks, addressing the impacts of climate change and implementing sustainable fishing measures.

Watt on Tuesday announced that the federal government has commenced a five-yearly review of the 2050 long-term sustainability plan for the reef in collaboration with the state government of Queensland.

Established in 2015, the long-term plan guides all government investment and actions across the reef.

(IANS)