THEY say perception can be stronger than reality. For Joe McGuire, that is proving to be the case.

Mr McGuire owns Gladstone Chartered Fishing & Ecotours, operating out of Gladstone Harbour. His tours take clients out to the Great Barrier Reef, well beyond the troubles facing Gladstone Harbour this year.

You would think that made his business immune from the controversy facing the harbour, but unfortunately that's not how it works.

"The phone stopped ringing," Mr McGuire said. "And it's basically because of all the negative stuff getting out about Gladstone."

Mr McGuire has run the business for two years and most clients come from outside Gladstone. It was going well until September, when news broke that the harbour was closed to fishing because of a contamination scare.

The irony is that Mr McGuire's tours operate in an area far removed from the Harbour, but perception is a powerful force.

Now business has dropped off so badly that he has had to put his business on hold and take up a job in industry.

"You're talking about the deaths of about 150 turtles, numerous dugongs and massive fish kills," he said.

"The natural perception (for the public) is to say 'this place is bad, let's avoid it'."