FOURTH-generation Burdekin cane and crop farmer Mark Vass fears the introduction of questionable reef regulations will cripple not only agriculture, but small towns along the North Queensland coast.
Mr Vass was among 150 farmers who travelled from the Burdekin region to have their voices heard at the protest in Townsville on Tuesday.
The young father said he was passionate about protecting the reef, but remains adamant that the science behind the proposed regulations is flawed.
"I'm a fourth generation farmer, not just cane as we grow a lot of different crops, but fishing has also been in my blood all my life," Mr Vass said.
"We've all got reef boats and spend our time out there diving and fishing so I'm very passionate about the reef as well.
"We're sick of just being the easy targets and a political football that government uses to try to smash someone over the reef.
"The science isn't there that anything we're doing is harming the reef."
Mr Vass said government decisions were constantly changing.
"In my area, some of the farmers will not be able to grow the cane on the reduced input they want us to, it's going to see production go down, in turn there will be a lot less money in the community, and if production drops low enough, one of the mills will close," he said.
"The biggest thing is if it gets in only the stroke of a pen by the minister can change it, that's why we're fighting hard.
"Once it's in, we're stuffed."
