Wildlife Bytes Australia 30/11/10

Leading Stories

Tuna

Governments Incapable Of Managing Tuna; Fisheries Management 'Flawed And Inadequate'. Dr. Susan Lieberman, director of international policy for the Pew Environment Group, issued this statement today in response to decisions made at this year's meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas. "ICCAT member governments today adopted measures to protect oceanic whitetip and hammerhead sharks, but were unable to provide real protection for Atlantic bluefin tuna and several other species of sharks whose populations are in jeopardy. Denying critical protection for some of the most threatened and iconic fish in the ocean is inexcusable. "Despite sound science to show how threatened these species are -- and all the recent evidence of fraud, laundering and illegal fishing -- Atlantic bluefin tuna once again were denied the protection they desperately need. ICCAT member governments had more than enough information to act decisively. They failed to do so.

"They failed to protect the spawning grounds for Atlantic bluefin, either in the Gulf of Mexico or the Mediterranean. They failed to suspend, or even significantly reduce, this fishery until effective management measures are in place and illegal fishing is brought under control. They agreed to only minor reductions in Atlantic bluefin catch limits in the eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean, while adopting only cosmetic efforts to promote enforcement and compliance. "Japan, the United States, the European Union and other member governments had an opportunity to secure meaningful protection for bluefin tuna this week. The inability of ICCAT member governments to make significant decisions to improve the health of Atlantic bluefin tuna and shark populations reflects the failure of a system that was set up largely by fishing countries on behalf of fishing interests. "It is now clear that the entire management system of high seas fisheries is flawed and inadequate. The time for letting the fox guard the hen house is over; we call upon governments that care about healthy ocean ecosystems to overhaul this broken system." *Underwater News.com

Birds Fight Back

A decade-long survey has found key species of birds that were in trouble because of land clearing and grazing are on the way back. For the past decade, David Lindenmayer and a team of scientists from the Australian National University have been keeping a close watch on woodland birds, studying 300 sites across 150 farms over a 10-year period. Over that time, many species that were considered to be in trouble have reappeared, including the speckled warbler, the diamond firetail and the rufous whistler. "In some cases we've seen the reporting rate, which is the number of times we record the birds on our sites, double, triple, even quadruple on some of these farms where there's been these kinds of interventions," Professor Lindenmayer said while visiting a property near Boorowa in southern New South Wales. "The fantastic thing is it is telling us now about the kinds of things that we might need to alter slightly on farms to actually have really good environmental outcomes." And it is not just birds that are reappearing. Reptiles are also being monitored and are also making a comeback.

"It's been a really buoyant year as far as the rainfall and things have been going on," scientist Geoffrey Kay said. "So we're picking up blind snakes and pink-tailed worm lizards. These are species that very rarely come up. They're subterranean and the moisture is really pulling them to the surface." The key to this biodiversity comeback is the landholder. Graziers and farmers are helping regenerate the land, replant the vegetation and grasslands, and over 10 years that has paid off. Grazier Neil Stuart signed up to the Federal Government's Environmental Stewardship Program and he is now taking great pleasure in watching the dramatic turnaround. "It gets you more involved because the more they find the more excited they get about the birds, reptiles, grasses and whatever," he said. "You go to some of these sites and you see these incredible wildflowers, that are endangered, growing. "I reckon it's great, and I just like talking to other people who are involved with this and they get a bit excited, because it's the first time they're seeing something happening." *ABC



Editorial....Wildlife Politics

A change of Government in Victoria will certainly put the possibility of a startup commercial kangaroo Industry in Victoria on the agenda. The previous Brack government have always claimed to be opposed to such an Industry, but we all know political promises are always made to be broken. While when in opposition, the Liberal/National coalition supported such an Industry. Fortunately, the establishment of a new State commercial kangaroo export Industry is a long and complicated process. Noone knows for sure how many kangaroos are in Victoria, but its believed the numbers are far short of enough animals to make a kangaroo commercial Industry viable. So the first thing they would have to do is a long and costly State-wide kangaroo count. As well, there are at least two public comment periods to work through, one State, and one Federal. Naturally wildlife and animal welfare groups will oppose the proposal every step of the way, even to taking Court action in the event they failed to stop a commercial kangaroo Industry startup. And of course, support for an Industry would have to be approved by the new Baillieu Cabinet, not just by a couple of new rural Ministers, and again, prior Elections, political promises are often made to be broken. So hopefully a Victorian commercial kangaroo Industry startup is still wishful thinking by only a couple of rural politicians. Meanwhile, it's believed the confusion of preferential voting played a big role in the final election results, especially being responsible for the poor results for the Victorian Greens. As well, playing on the public confusion surrounding preferential voting, the mainstram media ran slogans like "A vote for the Greens is a wasted vote.” In spite of this, it appears likely that the Greens will have the balance of power in the Legislative Council. Politics, politics...what can we say? Unfortunately, wildlife protection is very much subjected to poor political decisions made by poorly advised, development at any cost, State governments. *

More kangaroo information below.......

New Parrot Species

DNA experts from Australia have discovered that dwindling populations of ground parrots in Western Australia belong to a different species than those found in the rest of the country, a find with important conservation implications. A team of researchers from the University of Adelaide and the Australian Wildlife Conservancy used DNA from 160-year-old museum specimens to learn of distinct differences between the ground parrots in the east and west and that the western populations should be recognized as a new species. It has been named Pezoporus flaviventris. The DNA study suggests the two species diverged from each other some 2 million years ago. "Our findings demonstrate that museum collections, some going back more than 150 years, continue to be relevant and can provide critical information for understanding and conserving the world's biodiversity into the future," said team member Jeremy Austin, of the Australian Centre for Ancient DNA at the University of Adelaide. While excited about the discovery, researchers were also concerned for the survival of these newly classified birds."The discovery has major conservation implications," said team member Stephen Murphy of the Australian Wildlife Conservancy. "The western ground parrot has declined rapidly in the last 20 years; there are now only about 110 birds surviving in the wild, and most of these are confined to a single national park. It is now one of the world's rarest birds." *Our Amazing Planet

On 17 November 2010 the Senate referred the following matter to the Senate Standing Committee on Environment and Communications for inquiry and report.

In accordance with the Senate's resolution establishing the inquiry, the committee will not publish submissions, or take other action relating to the inquiry (for example, arranging public hearings) until the first day of sitting in 2011 (8 February 2011).
Submissions should be received by 08 February 2011. The reporting date is 01 June 2011.

The Committee is seeking written submissions from interested individuals and organisations preferably in electronic form submitted online or sent by email to ec.sen@aph.gov.au as an attached Adobe PDF or MS Word format document. The email must include full postal address and contact details.

http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/ec_ctte/koalas/index.htm

Climate Change

Scientists working with the Global Carbon Project have raised the spectre of renewed growth in fossil-fuel driven carbon emissions. Based on global GDP growth, they believe the increase will be around 3% this year, more than offsetting the 0.7% reduction observed in 2009 and making 2010 a record year for CO2 emissions. The Global Carbon Project is a climate science support initiative sponsored by the CSIRO and Japan. *Ecomedia

A research team running the world's first underwater laboratory on the Great Barrier Reef has confirmed the natural treasure is in great danger. Led by Ove Hoegh-Guldberg, from the global change institute of the University of Queensland, the team has been studying how coral is affected by increasing acidity in sea water caused by carbon emissions. They began the world-first experiment on a two-square-metre patch of the reef off Heron Island in May and found damage to the reef more serious than expected.
Read more http://www.theage.com.au/environment/conservation/barrier-reef-not-looking-so-great-20101127-18ber.html


Tuvalu is the world's second-least populous nation, after Vatican City. Its 12,000 residents live on several reefs and atolls halfway between Australia and Hawaii. Nearly all the land is less than three metres above the sea. The director of the tiny nation's Environment Department, Matio Tekinene, says his people are already suffering the ill effects of climate change. Rising sea levels and more frequent king tides are causing coastal erosion and salinating the groundwater, making it hard to grow the traditional subsistence root crop, pulaka. The freshwater supply is now restricted to rainfall, which arrives in unfamiliar patterns at unfamiliar times. Coral bleaching is reducing fish stocks close to shore.
Read More http://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/tiny-islands-face-change-that-is-hard-to-believe-in-20101126-18al7.html

Christmas Beetles

For generations of children they were the sign that Christmas was nearly here. But kids growing up in the city today may never know the sound of christmas beetles beating against the screen door in the run up to the festive season - and scientists believe it is man who is to blame. In and around Sydney, the beetles' numbers are falling as the city's expansion demolishes their feeding grounds. "While christmas beetles live in woodland but will come in to feed on the grasslands, the amount of land is increasingly disappearing," entomologist Stephen Fellenberg, who runs website Insektus, said yesterday. Christmas beetles were once so common in Sydney there were stories about tree branches collapsing under their weight. But now land clearing and urbanisation has harmed the christmas beetles, who need soil for the larvae stage of their lives. Christmas beetles spend up to two years underground as they grow from larvae to pupa.* Daily Telegraph

Whaling

The Australian director of the anti-whaling group Sea Shepherd says its new vessel has the potential to stop Japanese whaling. The fast interceptor vessel, which is registered in Fremantle and cost $4 million, is called Gojira. It is the first Sea Shepherd vessel to be registered in Australia. Director Jeff Hansen says Gojira is the fastest and strongest Sea Shepherd vessel ever built. "This vessel can outrun any Japanese vessel which means that we will have the element of surprise," he said. "We can find the factory ship and the factory ship is the one we're after. If we can find the factory ship we can shut down whaling." *ABC

Tillegra Dam Scrapped

New South Wales Premier Kristina Keneally and her Government have rejected the proposed “costly, unnecessary and environmentally destructive” Tillegra Dam. An independent report found the proposed dam would have significantly impacted and potentially caused an ecological collapse of the internationally recognised Hunter Estuary Wetlands. *EcoMedia

Nessie

With a dwindling number of sightings in recent years, fears have been raised that Scotland’s famous monster may be dead. But fans of Nessie could be given fresh hope with this picture of a mysterious humped shape in the Highland loch. The new “sighting” was captured on camera by landscape designer Richard Preston, while he was working at Aldourie Castle Gardens, on the banks of Loch Ness. Yesterday, he said: “When I looked closer, I could clearly see the four hump-like features. “I thought I’d take a picture, to see if there was anything in it, to see what others thought. “I was surprised that it stayed there as long as it did. “I took various shots before it suddenly disappeared. I literally just turned my back and it was gone.” Richard, 27, added: “There were no ripples in the water, no boats, nothing around. “I have no idea what it was, but it undoubtedly looks like Nessie.” Tales of something lurking in Loch Ness go back to the sixth century, when St Columba was said to have confronted a water beast. But the myth only took hold in the modern era after a series of photographs appeared in the press during the Thirties. The first grainy “evidence” was taken by Hugh Gray, in November 1933. * Express.co.uk See picture http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/214064/Does-this-picture-prove-that-Nessie-is-alive-and-well-/

Wildlife Poaching

Kenya Wildlife Service agents have shot dead two suspected poachers who they saw shooting at a herd of elephants. This brings the number of suspected poachers shot dead by wildlife agents in November to five, the most in a month, spokesman Paul Udoto said. He said rangers shot the two suspected poachers and recovered one firearm at Amboseli National Park, in south-western Kenya. Three others escaped with injuries, he said. The gang is suspected of involvement in the killing of two elephants in the same area three weeks ago. Poachers target elephants for their ivory tusks, which are often smuggled to Asia. * AP

Flying Foxes

A colony of flying-foxes has set up camp in Nambucca Heads’ Gordon Park, much to the chagrin of those living close by. The most likely explanation for the new guests was simply their seasonal hunt for food, National Parks spokesman Lawrence Orel said. Flying foxes have been known to travel hundreds of kilometres to find food, usually native tree nectar or rainforest fruits. “Flying foxes do tend to move around, they travel up and down the coast following the flowering of native species of plants,” Mr Orel said. Sometimes a camp would be forced to relocate if a location they had previously roosted in was destoryed. Flying foxes formed two kinds of camps: a ‘maternity’ camp, which was established and permanent, and a temporary camp, which existed only while there was a plentiful supply of food, Mr Orel said. Gordon Park was mostly likely a temporary camp, due to the small number of bats there. But there was every chance Nambucca would remain a regular site for flying-fox visitors in years to come. They were known to develop an affinity for certain camps, and would return to the same trees anually. Nothing could be done about the mess, noise and smell created by the camp, because flying foxes and their camps were protected under NSW legislation, Mr Orel said. Those in the neighbourhood must simply wait until the food supply ran out, and the flying foxes moved further afield. *Guardian News


Charters Towers residents under siege from a colony of bats are also faced with a plague of blood-sucking mites. Thousands of bats are roosting in Lissner Park as Charters Towers Regional Council remains locked in battle with the State Government over its plan to muster them away from the area using a helicopter. Residents say the creatures are noisy and disease-ridden, have destroyed the park with their droppings and created a foul stench in the area. The bats have also been blamed for bringing swarms of a small unidentified insect, described as similar to a tick, that latches on to skin to feed on blood. Mayor Cr Ben Calcott said the mites were an ongoing concern. In previous years, some workers had been taken to hospital to have the insects removed, he said. ''The mites adhere to their skin like ticks,'' he said. 'If you attend the park you run the risk of these mites adhering to you. They're an insect-type thing with legs so they're fairly mobile bloodsuckers.''

Cr Calcott said the mites were living on the bats and residents were fearful they could spread disease. 'We know a very small number of bats have lyssavirus and or hendra virus or melaka virus,'' he said. However, the Department of Environment and Resource Management said it had not received any complaints relating to mites. ''Further, Queensland Health advises bat mites do not carry any diseases that can be transmitted to humans,'' a spokeswoman said. The department has refused to grant permission for council to use a helicopter to muster the bats into a new habitat, away from the township, as there was no guarantee the bats would not be harmed. More than 2000 people have signed a petition for the bats' removal. Politicians and business leaders plan to hold a public rally on Saturday. The spokeswoman said the department would consider any application from council for a damage mitigation permit to disperse the flying foxes, as long as the methods proposed were humane and did not impact public safety.

''The minister (Climate Change and Sustainability Minister Kate Jones) has written to council urging them to work with the department on long-term strategies to manage the impacts of flying foxes in Charters Towers, as the migratory animals travel to the area every year before moving on, once food sources, such as flowering trees, are depleted.'' Cr Calcott said council was in discussions with a Melbourne scientist about its proposal, which it would re-submit following her input. ''We're sticking to our guns to muster them out of town with a helicopter,'' he said. The rally will start from Charters Towers Hospital at 9.30am and head down Gill and Deane streets to Lissner Park. *Townesville Bulletin


About 500 people protested over the weekend against the Queensland Government's refusal to relocate a colony of flying foxes from a park at Charters Towers, south-west of Townsville. Sustainability Minister Kate Jones says she is prepared to hold further talks about how to handle thousands of the noisy mammals, that have inhabited Lissner Park in the town for almost a decade. Charters Towers Mayor Ben Callcott says all previous relocation attempts either have not worked or have not been allowed by the Government. "I think [Premier Anna Bligh's] on the skids anyway but that's beside the point," he said. "What I hope is that the LNP government has the maturity to do something about it because that's what we need. "People mention guts - it's not a matter of guts. "It's a matter of being able to think and reason and have the maturity to actually plough through a problem and do something about it." Councillor Callcott says locals are growing more frustrated by the day. "This is the first showing of strength from the town and that's a good thing," he said. "If they see that there is solidarity out there maybe they'll think again, but we have been told by a member from DERM [the Department of Environment and Resource Management] that we're right on the cusp of a breakthrough, so who knows then?" *ABC

Dugong

The Opposition says it will use Queensland Parliament to publicly name two people it believes are poaching dugongs in the state's far north unless there is a prompt investigation. Opposition sustainability spokesman Glen Elmes says he has given police and other authorities the names and contact details of people illegally catching and selling dugongs. He says the black market for dugong meat must be shut down and he has started to do the environment department's work for it. "I took the responsible view and actions and didn't name the people in the Parliament, but if for some reason - and particularly with the two Labor Ministers involved - there is not some quick action on this," he said. "When the Parliament comes back early next year, I will name the individuals concerned." He accused Queensland Sustainability Minister Kate Jones of ignoring the problem. "Every time I turn around the Minister says if 'you've got proof, let's have it'," Mr Elmes said. "There's 5,500 staff in the Department of Environment and Resource Management [DERM] and I was able to come up with just two of the perpetrators. "They're not the only two by any means, so I've started to do the job for DERM and the other authorities." Ms Jones says she is hoping there is something substantial in the material Mr Elmes has provided. She says the Government does not hesitate to take action when illegal activities can be proven. *ABC

Kangaroos

Kangaroos...Legal Driveby Shootings.....Watch the Video put together by AWPC and the "440,000 reasons not to eat kangaroo meat campaign".
Watch now, http://media.causes.com/951262?m=4fef55ef


How does a hopping kangaroo breathe?

Here is a breathtaking piece of kangaroo research from the Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, Michigan. It's likely that someone actually got paid to do this........ "We developed a model to demonstrate how a hopping kangaroo breathes. Interestingly, a kangaroo uses less energy to breathe while hopping than while standing still. This occurs, in part, because rather than using muscle power to move air into and out of the lungs, air is pulled into (inspiration) and pushed out of (expiration) the lungs as the abdominal organs "flop" within the kangaroo's body. Specifically, as the kangaroo hops upward, the abdominal organs lag behind, and the insertion of the diaphragm is pulled toward its origin, flattening the dome and increasing the vertical dimension of the thoracic cavity (the thoracic cavity and lungs enlarge). Increasing the volume of the thoracic cavity reduces alveolar pressure below atmospheric pressure (barometric pressure), and air moves into the alveoli by bulk flow. In contrast, the impact of the organs against the diaphragm at each landing causes expiration. Specifically, upon landing, the abdominal organs flop into the diaphragm, causing it to return to its dome shape and decreasing the vertical dimension of the thoracic cavity. This compresses the alveolar gas volume and elevates alveolar pressure above barometric pressure, so air is expelled. To demonstrate this phenomenon, the plunger of a syringe model of the respiratory system was inserted through a compression spring. Holding the syringe and pressing the plunger firmly against a hard surface expels air from the lungs (the balloon within the syringe deflates) and compresses the spring. This models the kangaroo landing after a hop forward. Subsequently, the compression spring provides the energy for the "kangaroo" to "hop" forward upon the release of the syringe, and air enters the lungs (the balloon within the syringe inflates). The model accurately reflects how a hopping kangaroo breathes. A model was chosen to demonstrate this phenomenon because models engage and inspire students as well as significantly enhance student understanding." *Network Item



A goanna found mutilated in Bongil Bongil National Park on October 18 is not the only native animal to have apparently suffered from deliberately-inflicted damage recently. The body of a dead kangaroo was found on the northern side of Coffs Harbour on October 20 with the head and tail removed. The head was discovered two days later with what were reported as boiling water burns to the face, as well as the eyes blinded and the ears cut off. Residents said while this animal was discovered on Pinehurst Drive at Avocado Heights, there had been reports of other injured kangaroos at nearby Heritage Park at Moonee. The Northern Beaches area of Coffs Harbour, especially around Safety Beach, Sandy Beach and Moonee, is well known for its large population of kangaroos. Although the animals’ depredations on gardens and lawns are not always welcomed by residents, the mobs of ’roos are generally considered a positive feature of the area and are admired by tourists and visitors. The area manager for the National Parks and Wildlife Service, Glenn Storrie, said they were investigating the matter and would welcome any input from the community A goanna was found dead and disembowelled in Bongil Bongil National Park on October 18. The dead monitor lizard was found beside a crude campsite in sand hills near the south bank of Bonville Creek by a patrolling National Parks and Wildlife Service ranger. As the campsite was in view of houses in South Sawtell, NPWS rangers are hoping someone may have noticed the fire at the campsite on October 16, where two people are believed to have camped after travelling there by canoe or tinnie. If you know who was responsible for either of these attacks contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or NPWS on 6652 0900 or call into the NPWS jetty office. *Coffs Coast Advocate


The Victorian State Government has been called upon to begin a kangaroo culling program in Manningham as the rapidly growing population wreaks havoc on local farms. Pettys Orchard’s John Mustafa said the kangaroos destroyed fruit trees, snapped drip lines and broke fences, causing thousands of dollars damage each year. “When something scares them, it’s like Jurassic Park around the farm. They stampede,” Mr Mustafa said. The number of kangaroos on the Templestowe orchard had doubled to more than 300 over the past five years and a systematic culling program was needed, he said. Manningham Council’s draft Green Wedge Action Plan released last month identifies kangaroos as one of six species - including sambar deer, fruit bats, wattle birds, lorikeets, and cockatoos - with “unsustainable populations”. Council environment co-ordinator Hamish Allan said kangaroo numbers grew when there was easy access to food and water. Mr Allan said dealing with wild animals was the State Government’s responsibility and there had been a failure to respond to concerns about rising kangaroo numbers in interface areas. He said the council was often called upon to deal with kangaroos and clearer guidelines on protocols were needed. Warrandyte police Sgt Keith Walker said police had this year put down about 10 injured kangaroos hit by cars.

Department of Sustainability and Environment spokesman Nick Talbot said landowners could get a culling permit as a “last resort” if kangaroos were damaging crops, fences or property or directly threatened communities or public health. But Warrandyte orchardist Richard Aumann (pictured) said it should be up to the State Government to deal with the problem. “Why should we be doing the dirty work and bearing the costs for the Government whose animals they are?” he said. Wildlife rescuer Adriana Simmonds urged the Government not to cull kangaroos. She said it was a short-term and simple solution to a complex problem. Comment here http://manningham-leader.whereilive.com.au/news/story/call-to-cull-manningham-kangaroos/#comment-form



There is limited scientific or environmental evidence to support the killing of large numbers of kangaroos every year, a series of reports has found. Despite being the national symbol of Australia, more than 3 million are killed each year for their meat, or because they are considered pests that compete with livestock for food and other resources. There is a growing movement to promote the consumption of kangaroo meat over beef and lamb as it is seen as a more environmentally sustainable option, because kangaroos emit less greenhouse gas. But a report by THINKK, a research group based at the University of Technology, Sydney, found some of the assumptions, which allow for the largest land-based wildlife cull in the world, were misguided and not grounded on scientific evidence. The ecologist and THINKK co-founder Dror Ben Ami said their reports, based on numerous studies, found kangaroos rarely competed for food with livestock. 'Long-term studies indicate that competition is intermittent, occurring only during a period of climatically driven food depletion,'' he said.

The report also found significant reductions in greenhouse gases from livestock would only occur if kangaroo meat consumption replaced beef and lamb demand. But Dr Ben Ami said it was unlikely that farmers would choose to farm kangaroos over livestock because there were not enough roos to fill the current demand for meat in Australia, let alone an international market. ''To replace one meal a week with kangaroo meat you need to have about 130 million kangaroos in the landscape to have a sustainable industry,'' Dr Ben Ami said. On average there were about 27 million kangaroos in the outback, he said. The co-author of the reports, Keely Boom, a lawyer, said culling kangaroos presented issues of animal cruelty. The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act stated animals could not be killed unless there was a reason to do so. Only licence owners were permitted to shoot kangaroos.

As there was limited evidence to show kangaroos damaged the environment, and several studies showing they were not pests, culling them for those reasons might be illegal, she said. Ms Boom works as a research fellow at THINKK, which is partly funded by the Sherman Foundation, a supporter of the animal protection group Voiceless. The reports called for the government to review whether killing kangaroos in such large numbers was necessary. "And where it is necessary let's look at the reasons for and against, and have a quantitative means of measuring its effectiveness," Ms Boom said. The government should also ban the killing of female kangaroos, which often had joeys in their pouches or with them, she said. A spokeswoman for the NSW Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water said kangaroos were protected fauna not pests in NSW. 'It is [the department's] view that kangaroos do cause damage and economic loss to the farming community, the extent of which does vary across the landscape.''

She said the department stood by the legality of the licensing system. The kangaroo expert Gordon Grigg agreed that research over the past 20 years had demonstrated kangaroos were not pests. But he said some of the report's assumptions were not correct. Most people realised that kangaroo meat could never totally replace beef and lamb, said Professor Grigg, an emeritus professor at the University of Queensland. Instead it should be marketed as gourmet or as a low fat alternative to beef and lamb, he said. The biologist Michael Archer, of the University of NSW, disputed the findings of the reports and said the sustainable wild harvesting of kangaroos was a conservation strategy. If graziers made money from kangaroos it gave them a reason to value the native environment, and reduce their sheep and cattle population, Professor Archer said. The findings of the THINKK reports will be presented at a free public lecture at the University of Technology, Sydney tomorrow evening. *SMH

Ed comment; This story appeared in almost every major newspaper across Australia.


Its meat is plentiful, it's healthy and natural, and it's even on Australia's coat of arms. It's roo meat, and there should be more of it on Australian dining tables, an industry leader says. Sharyn Garrett - who is secretary of the Queensland Macropod and Wild Game Harvesters Association and is the 2010 winner of the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) Rural Women's Award for Queensland - says the kangaroo industry already contributes well over $130 million to the economy and supports 4000 direct and indirect jobs. Kangaroos should be seen as a resource and not just a pest, she says as she attempts to expand Australia's first kangaroo growers' and harvesters' co-operative. At present about 70 per cent of kangaroo meat goes into pet food, the "economic foundation" of the industry, Ms Garrett said. "But we see many, many benefits and opportunities in kangaroo meat for human consumption," she said.

Kangaroo meat has just 2 per cent fat and would help address Australia's obesity epidemic, Ms Garrett told a meeting of the Rural Press Club in Brisbane on Friday. However, little of the kangaroo meat suitable for humans is consumed in Australia, and Ms Garrett wants to change that, establishing a co-operative of landholders and harvesters who established their own processing works. There's no shortage of meat to be harvested. "We are limited by the actual quota the state government sets, but in the last 15 years we haven't gone anywhere near the quota, which is set at a sustainable level," Ms Garrett said. Only three of 90 species are allowed to be culled, she said. She said domestic consumption of kangaroo should grow in Australia, but an archaic structure is holding the industry back. The co-operative she has established aims to control the supply chain from harvester to consumer, Ms Garrett said.

Debbie Newell, who runs the Hunter Gatherer Dinner Club targeting game meats and other wild food, said kangaroo meat is a very healthy alternative to other meats, including fish. "Game meat doesn't taste `gamey'," Ms Newell said. "It's a very sweet, very fresh meat. "Because it comes from a natural background eating grasses, its fats, the very few it has, are Omega 3 fatty acid and you'll find roo especially has less fats than white-fleshed fish." It could be a way to eat healthy meat without further eroding fish stocks, Ms Newell said. *AAP



At the end of her article on eating kangaroos, Wendy Zukerman happily tucks into a kangaroo steak, having assuaged her conscience as to the meat's origin (9 October, p 4z). However, her assertion that kangaroo numbers "have been on the rise ever since Europeans settled in Australia around 200 years ago" is a contentious one. We do not really know if numbers have increased or not, though the range of some species may have increased. On the subiect of ethics, the article misrepresented the stance of the animal welfare group RSPCA Australia. Its official position is that females should not be killed until the welfare of young joeys is resolved. In a 2004 paper in the iournal AustraIian Mammalogy, David Croft, who was quoted in Zukerman's article, stated that orphaned young animals are likely to die, as they are strongly dependent on their mothers for nutrition, and for learning to forage and avoiding predation. Kangaroo shooters are portrayed in the article as good marksmen, but evidence from the Australian animal rights charity Animal Liberation indicates that this is not always the case. It has film showing carcasses in chillers with necks severed below the occipital joint, and suggests that
up to 40 per cent of adults are miss-shot and are cut in a way so as to hide the evidence.

Kangaroo meat cannot be a direct replacement for livestock. To meet a fifth of Australia's current demand for beef would require there to be kangaroo populations quite considerably greater than they are at present - an impossibility as kangaroos are free ranging and their numbers are regulated by climatic conditions. Nor would removal of sheep from grazing land increase numbers, as findings by Croft and others indicate that there is little competition between them and kangaroos. Kangatarians should know that they are supporting another meat industry and plundering Australia's wildlife. Without question they are also significantly damaging the animals'welfare to an extent that is on par with the harm inflicted on Canadian harp seals.

Wendy Zukerman tells us that she suffers from anaemia, and thinks that eatlng kangaroo meat might improve matters. I do not see this as a reason to support the slaughter of kangaroos, during which the babyjoeys are "coshed with a metal pipe" and the older ones are left to die of starvation. She believes that she is short of iron because her diet doesn't contain enough of it, but a more likely explanation is that she Iacks vitamin B12, which is needed to absorb it. One tablet a day would be a more ethical alternative to supporting the bloodshed in Australia. *Dror BenAmi, New Scientist

Ed Comment; I guess nothing else drives the message home more succintly than Dr Dror Ben Ami's statement that ''To replace one meal a week with kangaroo meat you need to have about 130 million kangaroos in the landscape to have a sustainable industry,'' Dr Ben Ami said. Currently we only have around 25 million, and probably going downhill. Wouldn't 130 million kangaroos upset a few farmers?


Kangaroo meat imports...this question was recently asked in the European Parliament. The response is below......

According to laboratory test results kangaroo meat from Australia imported into the EU has been found to contain E220 (sulphur dioxide), which is banned in EU meat products. This contravenes European Parliament and Council Directive 95/2/EC of 20 February 1995 on food additives other than colours and sweeteners (OJ L 61, 18.3.1995, p. 1). E220 is a well-known irritant for asthma sufferers. According to Asthma UK, in the UK alone some 5.4 million people suffer from asthma, and throughout the EU asthma affects some ‘10 % of children, continues in 5 % of adults and affects twice as many people as 20 years ago’. (http://ec.europa.eu/research/infocentre/export/01-03-med01_9.html). Has the Commission investigated kangaroo meat imports? What action does the Commission plan to take concerning meat imports that are shown to contain unlawful substances? *

Answer given by Mr Dalli on behalf of the Commission
The Commission has searched its database ‘Rapid Alert System for Feed and Food’ (RASFF) and there is no notification of sulphur dioxide in kangaroo meat. The RASFF system includes notifications by Member States of risks to human health deriving from food and feed following border and market controls. Apart from official controls, any findings of unauthorised or excessively high levels of dangerous substances should be reported. Food business operators and Member States' competent authorities have to take appropriate mesures. The Commission would be grateful to receive further information by the Honorable Member on the source of the report findings in order for the Commission to investigate. For RASFF notifications related to imported meat, the Commission immediately informs the third country in order for its authorities to take appropriate action.

The Commission also assesses the severity of a notification and has different instruments to act. In the case of lower risk contaminations and occasional findings no specific measure is put in place, and Member States continue to carry out their own risk-based controls. In other cases the Commission may adopt a decision after advice from the Standing Committee on the Food Chain and Animal Health (SCFCAH) to set an increased minimum level of import testing. In severe cases, the Commission adopts a safeguard measure where a 100 % testing frequency on imports is laid down, or the product is even banned if the seriousness of the risk requires it. The inspection service of the Directorate-General for Health and Consumers, the Food and Veterinary Office, carries out routine inspection missions in third countries in order to verify the proper enforcement of EU requirements. In some cases such missions are also carried out in emergency cases or for targeted purposes. *





Climate Talkfest

While expectations for last year's climate change talks in Copenhagen were inflated, hope for the United Nations' climate meeting in Mexico is already low. This time last year the world's focus was on the Copenhagen summit, which was supposed to find a successor to the Kyoto Protocol. Expectations were high but they were thoroughly dashed. Now climate negotiators are heading to the Mexican resort town of Cancun for the annual UN talks and some experts are warning global climate talks risk disintegrating altogether. Climate Group chief executive Mark Kenber says there is no chance of a legally binding agreement in Cancun. "That was the big hope in Copenhagen last year and it was clear there really wasn't the concerted political will to reach a legal treaty then, and I think the same is the case now, perhaps even less so," he said. This past year has seen Australia and the United States back away from carbon trading, while South Korea and China are considering introducing their own emissions trading schemes.

Nick Rowley, the director of consultancy firm Kinesis, was at last year's meeting as part of the Copenhagen Climate Council. He says 2010 has been a confused year. "Sadly, if you look at some of the NASA analysis, it looks like 2010 is going to prove to be the warmest year on record," he said. "That's the most serious thing we've got to be focusing on is that the level risk associated by this problem doesn't look as if it's going to be any less. "There's been an enormous northern heatwave and in Russia that has led to a decision by the Russian government not to export any grain. "They're the second largest grain exporter in the world. That affects food prices. So it's not just an environmental problem. It's actually a problem that is actually hitting our capacity to feed the world." Yet Mr Kenber says the lack of a global deal has not stopped some countries from tackling climate change on their own or bilaterally. "While progress at international level is faltering at best, at the national level there have been incredible advances," he said. "We saw both China and India set targets for themselves. The US made its commitment to reducing its emissions by 17 per cent. The European Union committed itself to a 20 per cent target. "We've also seen a lot of domestic action. So there's been a lot happening on the ground despite the lack of an international agreement."

There have already been some bilateral deals on climate change this year. For example, Norway promised $1 billion to Indonesia to stop emissions from cutting down rainforests. Mr Rowley says countries, regions, cities and even businesses can make progress on their own. "My view is much of that bilateral action could actually be built towards informing the way in which a global response can be properly designed and calibrated," he said. "I think that's the way to look at it. It's not either or, it's both." Bill Hare is the chief executive of Climate Analytics and a visiting scientist at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. He is in Cancun and says a global set of rules negotiated through the UN is critical. "We need a multilateral process so we've got common rules for reporting emissions so everyone is on the same playing field, otherwise we'll have countries electing to do things which don't really work," he said. "We need a multilateral system also to get the level of ambition needed to reduce emissions fast enough to keep warming below two degrees."

Mr Hare says fears the talks could dissipate are valid. "I think complete disintegration is definitely a possibility. If the process keeps on going the way it's been performing, I think it becomes an inevitability not just a possibility," he said. "I think the reasons for that are quite complicated. My perspective would be that essentially this is a conflict between the US and China." Mr Hare says if the US takes another five years to sign up to a Kyoto-style treaty then the rest of the world should simply go it alone. But while countries continue to wait for each other to move first, hope that next year's conference in South Africa will produce a new climate deal are already fading. *ABC


Spiders

Most people associate this hairy, eight-legged fellow with a stabbing sense of fear not a relief from pain. But Queensland scientists are now studying spider venom for its potential use as a painkiller. Brisbane researcher Glenn King was granted $550,000 by the Australian Research Council over four years to probe compounds within spider venom for pain-relieving properties. His research follows the discovery of a family in Pakistan who have a defective gene, or SCN9A, which eliminates the ability to feel pain. The SCN9A gene has become a target for pharmaceutical companies keen to develop new drugs for chronic pain sufferers, a market worth about $34 billion worldwide a year. Professor King, of the University of Queensland's Institute of Molecular Bioscience, said spider venom contained compounds that knocked out the function of a similar gene in insects, pointing to the venom's potential as a painkiller for humans.

He is searching for molecules in spider venom that may block a protein produced by the SCN9A gene in humans to effectively silence pain signals throughout the body. He said UK scientists were alerted to the Pakistani family by stories of a boy who performed dangerous stunts during street performances, apparently without feeling pain. Meanwhile, other researchers are studying a molecule in the venom of the Brazilian wandering spider for its potential use as "the next Viagra''. *Courier Mail



A website focusing on wildlife tourism, where Naturalist and Guide is Alan Gillanders, specialising in tree-kangaroos, birds and nocturnal mammals on the beautiful Cairns Highlands, North Queensland, Australia http://www.alanswildlifetours.com.au/


You will find information on this website about the Macedon Ranges group, about local wildlife species, about upcoming events, and about ways to live harmoniously with our wildlife. http://www.mrwn.org.au/


Birds in Backyards is a research, education and conservation program focusing on the birds that live where people live. Get involved by becoming a member and taking part in our online surveys. Learn about how you can create bird-friendly spaces in your garden and local community. Find out more about Australian birds and their habitats. http://www.birdsinbackyards.net/

Wildlife Bytes 23/11/10

Lead Stories

Flying Foxes

A Charters Towers gardener has offered his job to Sustainability Minister Kate Jones for a day as part of Premier Anna Bligh's ''walk a day in my shoes'' public relations campaign. But there is a sting in the tail of Allan Henderson's cheeky offer. He works in the northwestern town's Lissner Park, where the trees are home to 20,000 flying foxes. Mr Henderson challenged Ms Jones (who pulled weeds as her part in the PR exercise) to spend a day working underneath the wildlife. 'She doesn't have enough guts to do that,'' he said. ''She should try working under these dirty mongrel things. She can walk in my shoes any day.'' Mr Henderson, the Charters Towers Action Group spokesman, said the town had suffered with a flying fox problem for nine years. The airborne mammals were driven out by starvation in April when heavy rain washed pollen out of trees but they returned in August. Mr Henderson wants Ms Jones to allow a mustering helicopter to herd the bats, in the hope the noise and downdraft would convince them to move elsewhere.

Ms Jones said she appreciated that living near a flying fox colony could cause distress. She had inspected the park and spoken with Mayor Ben Callott about damage mitigation permits. Since 2002, the council had applied for and been granted 15 permits to disperse black and little red flying foxes, using noise, fogging and lighting. The department had offered to immediately issue a further permit but the council had so far declined. An application in June this year to disperse animals with a chopper was refused because the proposal was deemed inhumane and there were public safety concerns. As Australia's population and bushland clearing have increased, it has seen conflicts arise between humans and bats having to co-exist. Bats feed on night-flowering, nectar-producing plants and play a critical role in pollination of native trees and the spread of seeds but people hate living near them and many have concerns about disease risks.

Mr Henderson said Ms Jones' permit to smoke them out was useless because the bats ignored the distraction. There were now so many bats, he said it had become a health and safety issue. Mr Henderson said residents wanted Ms Jones to review her decision on use of a chopper. When starvation hit flying fox camps mid-year, it sent thousands of the creatures across five states. Some even tried to make it to Tasmania. *Courier Mail

Meanwhile a leading conservationist has urged Sustainability Minister Kate Jones to stand firm in her opposition to the use of a mustering helicopter to herd pesky flying foxes out of Charters Towers' Lissner Park. A resident's rally will be held next Saturday to protest against the refusal. But Queensland Conservation Council member and scientist Carol Booth said yesterday the idea of herding 20,000 flying foxes to bushland was absurd and doomed to fail. The City Council applied for permission for a chopper in June but were refused due to public safety issues. Since 2002, the council had been granted 15 permits to disperse bats, using noise, fogging and lighting. Dr Booth said the contention that flying foxes would obediently fly to a preferred location was wishful thinking. *Courier Mail

Koalas

Scientists have urged the State Government to approve the artificial insemination of koalas as a way of ensuring remnant populations survive. Dreamworld general manager of life sciences Al Mucci said he accepted that many conservationists and Environment Department staff would be opposed to such intervention but things had become so grim serious action was needed. He said if remnant populations, such as those in Noosa National Park, were simply left to their own devices, they were doomed. He did not accept the argument that such a program would be overly interfering with nature.
"We've already interfered with nature,'' he said. "That's how they got into trouble. We've got to maintain population density although, in the bigger picture, we still need to protect habitat. "If you want to maintain small populations such as at Noosa, Runaway Bay or Coombabah (Gold Coast) you've got to use reproductive biology as if they are captive populations.''

Mr Mucci and staff have worked with University of Queensland scientist Steve Johnson in developing artificial insemination techniques. Dr Johnson, a pioneer in the area, said 32 joeys had been produced from artificial insemination at Dreamworld, Currumbin Sanctuary and Lone Pine tourist centres. "We're ready to use the technology for other purposes,'' he said. "It provides us with the tools to manage a bit more intensively. It allows us to do a genetic exchange and we can test males for chlamydia.'' Dr Johnson said that while artificial insemination could be used to save koalas, issues such as vegetation clearing still had to be addressed. Sustainability Minister Kate Jones said she and the state's koala taskforce would consider any proposal. Environment Department resource management assistant director koala policy Wade Oestreich said it could be a viable option but was not considered the most effective means of significantly boosting koala numbers. Mr Mucci said any injured female koalas in care from the Noosa region could be inseminated, thereby returning to the bush with a joey in the pouch. *Courier Mail

Editorial

There are three significant issues we'll discuss this week. One is the growing strong opposition to the coal seam gas Industry in Queensland and NSW. A recent article in the Courier Mail brought over 70 comment responses, most are opposed to the Industry and the downstream environmental consequences. But both the Queendsland and NSW governments are in dire financial straits because of their own financial mismanagement over many years, and are listening to nobody....except those who talk about money! It's interesting to note that suddenly the farmers have realised that the EIS process is not designed to stop bad proposals, but to ensure they proceed, something environmental groups knew decades ago. All attempts by conservation groups to improve the EIS process (and there have been many attempts over the years) have been swept under the carpet by all governements. So ultimately the chances of stopping CSG mining are slim, Governments desperately need the money to keep the States running, its as simple as that. As far as they are concerned, any environmental damage is irrelevant.

Next issue is the decision to renew aerial dog baiting in Victoria. The Victorian Labor government goes to the polls next weekend, and in an effort to secure some rural votes, they have decided to allow aerial baiting again in parts of rural Victoria. As Julie Fechner, President of Dingo CARE Network Inc notes below, research has has shown that baiting weakens dingo pack structure, which exacerbates the problem of roaming dingoes and wild dogs, and certainly has an impact on other wildlife. The weird thing is the Victorian Government has just announced that dingoes are protected animals, yet they are going to poison them?? But Victoria goes to the polls next weekend. Both major Parties, Libs and Labor, have directed preferences to each other, in bid to stop the Greens grabbing four major Melbourne seats. Labor has also given preferences to the Country Alliance Party in Upper House regions, and its expected that the Country Alliance, which is the equivilent of the NSW's Shooters Party under another name, will poll well in rural areas. The Greens of course are finding it difficult to get any media. We think we need a radical overhaul of our political system, to get rid of the incompetance, corruption and cronyism that currently exists within the major Parties. Of course that will never happen, because that would have to be a government initiative, and why would they kill the goose that lays the Golden Egg?

The third issue is that our Environment Minister Tony Burke has, through the RIRDC, given $400,000 to the Kangaroo Industry to promote the Industry, and to try to raise the consumption of kangaroo meat in Australia. Stories that you may have seen in some newspapers promoting the consumption of kangaroo meat, are clearly prostitution journalism, where the journalist gets paid by the kangaroo Industry for getting a positive story about kangaroo meat in the media. Of course, this happens all the time with mining and other multinational companies, and even governments do it. But its disappointing when the so-called Federal "Environment" Minister uses our money to promote this dreadful and unsustainable Industry. *WPAA

Flying Foxes

The Director of Sydney's Botanic Gardens, Tim Entwhisle, who worked long and hard to garner government support for the Botanic Gardens illfated flying fox relocation attempt, has landed a top job at the Kew Gardens in London. He will be taking up the position of Director Conservation, Living Collections and Estates at the Royal Botanic Gardens next March. Mr Entwhisle has been in charge Sydney, Mount Annan and Mount Tomah Gardens for seven years. He says the opportunity to take charge of Kew's Millenium Seedbank, was a big draw card. "It's got 10 per cent of the world's plants stored as seeds," he said. "The idea is you get the seeds from as many plants as you can, put them into this cold storage area, help protect that so you never lose those plants." "Also more recently they've been using those to help with food security overseas, doing work in Madagascar, Mexico and China." Anyway, good riddance to Mr Entwhistle, we say! *WPAA

Turtles

After nearly three years in exile, freshwater turtles have been returned to the rejuvenated SA Lower Lakes. Yesterday school students and volunteers from the Lower Lakes Turtle Project released 30 turtles back into their natural environment. Since March 2008, more than 2000 turtles have been rescued from water so salty that tubeworms grew on their shells. "We brought the turtles back to school and we scraped off the tubeworm," said Year 1 pupil Thomas, 6, from the Eastern Fleurieu School. Project co-ordinator Kerri Bartley said she hoped the freshwater flows would continue. "We haven't had a tubeworm-encrusted turtle ... in the last 12 months," she said. "Tubeworms can't survive in fresh water, so hopefully this is the end of it." *AdelaideNow

Climate Change

Hungry polar bears gathering along the tundra, twice as many record-breaking temperatures and stronger hurricanes are among the latest signs of climate change, scientists say. And we can expect more rain, more drought and fiercer storms in the future if the world continues on its fossil-fuel gobbling track, they told reporters on a conference call on Wednesday to discuss the year in global warming.
Read more http://www.theage.com.au/environment/weather/expect-more-wild-weather-say-scientists-20101119-1806i.html


An index published in Norway shows Australia is the second worst country in the world for emitting greenhouse gases, behind the United Arab Emirates (UAE). There are 183 countries on the list, which was compiled by a British consultancy and looks at current and historic emissions levels. Rich countries and OPEC members dominated the list. The ranking of carbon dioxide emissions placed the UAE on top largely because of a sharp rise in emissions in recent years linked to desalination plants. Australia is the next worst because of its dependence on coal. The index also shows that Australians, along with Americans, have high per capita emissions. * Reuters

Seals

Jack, the Australian fur seal pup may be the most adorable and cuddly-looking specimen on Rosebud (Victoria) beach, but wildlife officers have warned the public to steer clear. Animalia Wildlife Shelter public officer Craig Thomson said Jack had been spotted at both ends of the beach, lazing in the sun by day, before heading off to feed on a range of seafood at night. Jack who has razor-sharp teeth is healthy and must not be approached, Mr Thomson warned. ``You may not approach a seal any closer than 30m on a beach and 5m on a jetty, pier or boat ramp under the Wildlife (Marine Mammals) Regulations 2009.'' He said November as the weather heats up was the prime time for spotting yearling seals on the beach. If anyone spots a seal, they should contact Wildlife Victoria on 9224 4290. *Mornington Leader

Rhinos

South African wildlife officials last week found the decomposing bodies of 18 rhinos -- all de-horned victims of poaching -- in a remote rhino graveyard on a large private game reserve close to the border of Kruger National Park. More than 288 rhinos have been killed by poachers this year in South Africa. That compares with 122 last year and 83 in 2008. The trade in rhino horns, valued for their perceived medicinal properties, is illegal, but flourishing. *SunHerald

Sturgeon

A British angler has caught the world’s biggest freshwater fish in Canada’s Fraser River. 43-year-old Jo Green took more than two hours to reel in the 25-stone, 8ft 4ins sturgeon, reports the Sun. Gardener Jo, of Padworth, Berks, was snapped with the monster, which dragged her boat two miles upstream, before releasing it back into the wild. “My arms and legs turned to jelly, I was so tired. It leapt out of the water twice and looked intimidating,” she said. (ANI)


Meanwhile The Caspian Sea littoral states have agreed-in-principle to ban the hunting of caviar-producing sturgeon in the Caspian Sea for a five-year period. According to an agreement reached at the end of the third Caspian summit in Azerbaijan, environmental experts from the five Caspian Sea littoral states were tasked with outlining measures within three months to implement a ban on sturgeon fishing. The third summit of the Caspian Sea leaders opened in Azerbaijan's capital, Baku on November 18. Findings of a research by Iran's Caviar Fish Research Center released two years ago showed Iran's caviar reserves would finish within the next 12 years. Uncontrolled fishing and pollution caused by oil and gas exploitations are serious threats to sturgeon and other marine species of the Caspian Sea. Caspian Sea sturgeon accounts for 90 percent of the world's caviar. The Major population of sturgeon lives in the southern parts of the Caspian Sea where the sea is much deeper. Russia, Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Iran are the five Caspian Sea littoral states. Only Iran and Russia have restricted sturgeon fishing in the Caspian Sea. *Underwater Times

Sharks

Police are investigating three people over alleged possession and sale of the jaws and teeth of a great white shark. A commercial fisherman from Ardrossan and a business at Coober Pedy in South Australia have been reported for breaching protection laws. A set of jaws and shark teeth necklaces have allegedly been seized from the business. Peter Deitman from the Primary Industries Department says fines of up to $100,000 can be imposed. "It's an offence to take a protected species which a great white is, and then also under the Fisheries Management Act it's an offence to either sell or purchase or indeed have in possession or control a protected species," he said. *ABC

Bluefin Tuna

Europe’s Mediterranean fishing nations have rejected measures to protect the endangered bluefin tuna proposed last month by the European Union fishing chief Maria Damanaki, EU officials said on Thursday. The decision late on Wednesday means the 27-nation EU joins international quota talks in Paris this week without a mandate for negotiating tough measures to conserve the fish, whose numbers have declined by more than half over the last 40 years. The EU was seen as a key champion of Atlantic bluefin, which can grow to the size of an average horse, accelerate faster than a sports car and can fetch $100,000 each at market in Japan, where they are prized by sushi lovers. The total bluefin quota for 2010 was set at 13,500 tonnes and Damanaki said last month that to give the giant fish a real chance of recovery, the 2011 quota should be set at around 6,000 tonnes at the Paris meeting of the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT). The 10-day ICCAT talks started on Wednesday. *Globe and Mail

Wildlife Trafficking

The Queensland Government says it hopes a recent court case sends a clear message to the community about the dangers of poaching wildlife. Darren John Eskey, 35, and his sister Leanne Eskey pleaded guilty to charges of taking and using protected animals and were fined more than $13,000 in the Toowoomba Magistrates Court in the state's south. The Department of Environment and Resource Management's Mike Devery says a police inspection of the pair's car outside Longreach, in January, uncovered more than 50 live animals including snakes, lizards and frogs. Mr Devery says the fines are appropriate. "We're very pleased with the outcome, it sends a strong message about what happens if you get caught," he said. "The other message is if you do this sort of thing, with the level of cooperation that occurs across borders now in Australia, there's a very good chance of being caught." * ABC
Ed Comment; If the Beattie government hadn't legalised the keeping of pet reptiles, this wouldnt happen because there would be no market.

Whaling

A super-fast stealth boat to replace the wrecked Ady Gil will join the Sea Shepherd's anti-whaling efforts this summer. Sea Shepherd is making its final preparations for the whaling season before setting out from Hobart early next month. The speed boat will join the Bob Barker, the Steve Irwin and a long-range helicopter in the anti-whaling mission Operation No Compromise. The Bob Barker is at the public dock at Macquarie Wharf No. 1 and the Steve Irwin is due in Hobart on Tuesday. Among the crew of the Steve Irwin will be Hollywood movie star Michelle Rodriguez of Avatar and The Fast and The Furious fame. Sea Shepherd leader Captain Paul Watson is due to arrive in Hobart this week. He will address a Sea Shepherd fundraiser in Hobart next Sunday.
Read more http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2010/11/21/187741_tasmania-news.html

Kangaroos

Fruit and vegetable producers in north Queensland say their farms are being ravaged by wild pigs and kangaroos. Carl Walker from the Bowen District Growers Association says the wetter than average winter has also led to more vermin in the fields. He says the damage to his own farm is more than $50,000. "It's been one of those very disappointing seasons between the weather," he said. "We have enormous problems now with vermin building up. Wild pigs and kangaroo numbers are getting [to] plague proportions which is costing us enormous amounts of money, which is another subject we've got to cross with the federal and state governments. "Me personally, I'm only a small grower and the wildlife has cost me in excess of $50,000 this year which is a lot of money and it's cost my employees a lot of that, because that's wages that haven't been paid out." *ABC

Koalas

A baby koala that was shot near Queensland's Sunshine Coast earlier this month is slowly improving. The female koala, nicknamed Frodo, was found at Jimna almost a fortnight ago with 15 shotgun pellets in its body and skull. Vets at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital say Frodo is now eating and drinking and has been moved to an outside pen but is still very fragile. The baby koala is recovering from two rounds of surgery to remove seven shotgun pellets and will need further surgery. *ABC

TinCan Bay marina

A conservation group says federal Environment Minister Tony Burke has received more than 17,000 emails protesting against a marina development at Tin Can Bay in south-east Queensland. The Seymour Group wants to build a marina at the Snapper Creek Boat Harbour, after gaining the approval of the Gympie Regional Council and the State Government. Mr Burke could make a final decision about the development as early as next month. Southern Sandy Straits Marine Environment Group president Carole Gillies says people from around the world have sent emails to Mr Burke. "What we're finding is we're getting people from all walks of life," she said. "We're getting people who are just sick of prioritising money and developments that benefit a minority of people over keeping some of our beautiful coastline natural and available to the majority [of people]. "We've had parents who are just concerned that future generations will only be able to see our wildlife in zoos. "We've also had some children responding to us who have visited the area and loved our dolphins and our fishing and want us to keep it for them." *ABC


Seagull Kill

Tasmanian animal conservationists are calling on the State Government to stop the oiling of seagull eggs at the Sorell Causeway. Against Animal Cruelty Tasmania spokesman Chris Simcox said it was time for the Government to get together with animal conservationists and experts to discuss humane ways to address the issue of seagulls in populated areas. "The authorities should show tolerance for these birds, while investigating serious long-term solutions," Mr Simcox said. Human presence along many coastlines has significantly reduced the nesting options for most seabirds, forcing them to find other colonies, Mr Simcox said. The Department of Infrastructure Energy and Resources has been putting oil on the eggs at the causeway for about seven weeks.

Spokeswoman Suzie Jacobson said the department had tested a number of options including noise deterrents and fences but the oiling remained the only solution. "This is a process that has been used around the world in a number of places," Ms Jacobson said. "It does kill off a certain nesting but it gets the message across to the seagulls that it is an area they should not go because it is not successful for nesting." Ms Jacobson said the department was running a review to confirm that there had been fewer seagull chicks killed on the road after the oiling. "It is not an ideal practice but this is not about killing the seagulls themselves, it is about trying to change their behaviour. We consider it the most humane way to do it." she said. *Mercury


Hey Skip, whats cookin?

A new cookbook aims to convince Australians that kangaroo has a place as a dinner table staple. Health experts have long extolled the virtues of the meat's lean quality, and environmentalists also give it the tick. But the meat still suffers an image problem. The book, Roocipes, financed by the federal government's Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, aims to change all that. Recipe contributors include Tony Bilson, the ''godfather of Australian cuisine'', who has offered up a tempting medallion of kangaroo with eschalots. And former Star City chef Sean Connolly has provided a recipe of kangaroo tartare, a version of the French classic steak tartare, featuring raw mince.

The book is the brainchild of Mel Nathan, food and wine publisher and editor. This year Nathan organised an evening forum of some of the country's top chefs to discuss how to change attitudes to eating kangaroo. It is, after all, a free-range product but for some, eating the coat of arms could be regarded as unpatriotic. 'The task of dethroning Skippy and replacing him with the versatility, leanness and gamey qualities we associate with kangaroo meat quickly became the agenda of the night,'' she said. But Nathan said the chefs were ''convinced that kangaroo could easily justify itself as a unique and tasteful alternative to other meat staples''.

Daniel Ridgeway, who has a restaurant called Little Truffle on the Gold Coast and is a former executive chef at the Sofitel Wentworth Sydney, has contributed a swag of recipes, including kangaroo prosciutto, pea and kangaroo soup and kangaroo terrine (see above). 'I think some people do have a problem with it but it's changing. People are beginning to understand its nutritional benefits - especially athletes, [as] it is digested through the body so much better than beef,'' Ridgeway said. 'As people get more educated about it they will eat it more.'' One problem appears to be the use of the word kangaroo - after all, we call pig meat ''pork'' and sheep meat ''lamb''. John Kelly, from the Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia, said more research was needed before any other name was adopted. But he said product name changes give ''a new opportunity to go out to the public with the idea''. Roocipes is available at www.rirdc.gov.au, by phoning 1300 634 313 and from selected newsagents. *Sun Herald

Ed Comment; The kangaroo Industry is desperate...now Russia has confirmed it wont import any more kangaroo meat, they are using taxpayers money to promote kangaroo meat in Australia....with little success. The Industry itself admits Aussies wont eat kangaroo meat...at least not in the quantity to make it a challenge to beef and lamb, or to make it financially viable. They've already tried to rename it Mala, but it didnt work, because using a little known name for kangaroo meat could be sucessfully argued that it was fraudulent advertising.

Ghost Nets

A Top End professional fisherman has given up $35,000 in income and costs by stopping fishing for three days to drag a 3km long "ghost" net to shore, one of many that kill endangered turtles in northern Australia. Ghost net is the term used for professional fishing nets that for various reasons are cut loose from boats and drift the oceans of the world, trapping threatened species and undersized and protected fish. Ghostnets Australia project co-ordinator Riki Gunn said the issue was a "wicked" problem. An example is fisherman not being allowed to bring them back for dumping in tips because they are plastic and cannot be burnt. Since 2004 when the group was formed, they have retrieved about 7500 nets. "They range in size from just a mere scrap to ginormous. We got one in 2006 which we reckon was about six tonne. It was probably 6km long," she said.

The Spanish mackerel fishing vessel Wildcard, owned by Bruce and Juanita Davey, suspended fishing on Monday to retrieve the net that was killing fish and endangering turtles at Money Shoal, 75km northeast of Croker Island. "We managed to remove around 60 per cent of the estimated 3km long net," owner Bruce Davey said. He recorded the co-rdinates for the rest of the net, which was stuck on a reef. "Since we could see fish and turtles in the net, the usual sort of stuff ... we could immediately see a wall of death," he said. He said he rang the Australian Maritime Safety Authority but they did not respond. Mr Davey said the net was on a pristine coral reef and either the federal or Territory governments needed to move it. Ms Gunn said they had cleaned up about 2000km of coastline and were working to help communities and their rangers with patrols. *NT News

Dingo Media Release

Dingo CARE Network Inc urges both parties to stop playing political football with the environment Date 19 November 2010 Dingo CARE Network Inc (Incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 on 21 June 2004 No A0045881H) Dingo CARE Network Inc. today expressed disappointment that both the Labour Party and the Coalition have promised a resumption of aerial wild dog/dingo baiting in the run up to the Victorian State Election. Julie Fechner, President of Dingo CARE Network Inc, today said: “It seems that both parties are ignoring the science in an attempt to increase their rural vote. Research has shown that aerial baiting has not been effective in the past so why do politicians continue with the same old practices, and why would farmers want scarce resources wasted on management practices that have been shown to be ineffective? Not only is it unscientific, but may be damaging to the natural environment.”

“Research is has shown that baiting weakens dingo pack structure, which exacerbates the problem of roaming dingoes and wild dogs. When the dominant or alpha pair is killed, remaining pack members often become poor hunters and breed at a higher rate. This is similar to removing the parents from the family farm and leaving young teenagers in charge to behave irresponsibly.” “When dingo packs are left intact, the overall dingo population is self-regulating at a relatively low level and they tend to stay within their home territory. They also play an important role as the top order predator maintaining environmental balance, protecting many of our small endangered species, and keeping kangaroo numbers in check.”

“If the Victorian government is serious about developing a sustainable solution for wild-dog predation on farm stock, it should promote and finance non-lethal control methods, including the use of lamas and maremma dogs. Such alternatives are now being used successfully in Queensland to protect stock.” “The dingo is now protected wildlife under the Victorian Wildlife Act. We trust that these announcements by the major political parties have been made in full consideration of the new laws protecting the dingo, and there are no plans to bait outside the agreed 3 kilometre buffer zone between public and private land.” Further information: Julie Fechner: 0419 55 2226 julie@dingo.id.au Ernest Healy 03 99020752 ernest.healy@arts.monash.edu.au

Another Dingo Media Release

The National Dingo Preservation and Recovery Program today expressed disappointment at the Victorian Labor government’s decision to resume aerial baiting for wild dogs in north-east Victoria and Gippsland. Yesterday, The Victorian Minister for Agriculture, Joe Helper, announced a budget of $1.2 million for the resumption of aerial baiting of wild dogs. NDPRP President, Dr Ian Gunn, today stated that the resumption of aerial baiting would likely prove counter productive in controlling wild-dog numbers and be a significant waste of public finances. ‘Aerial baiting trials have been conducted before in Victoria and found to be largely ineffective. It is concerning that it has been resurrected as part of an election campaign.’ Dr Gunn encouraged the Victorian government to take seriously the body of expert opinion that suggests that indiscriminant baiting and trapping of wild dogs and dingoes may be in fact exacerbating the very problem that farmers wish to overcome.

‘Recent research has concluded that the lethal control of dingo populations destabilizes pack structures, which can lead to increased breeding rates. In a stable pack, or family unit, only the dominant female usually breeds, limiting the wild-dog or dingo population. If a dominant female or male is killed through baiting or trapping, then subordinate females are free to breed, producing more pups than usual. Pups which result from fractured packs are less likely to be territorially constrained and may not be taught to hunt properly. Such ‘poorly-educated’ juvenile dingoes are more likely to resort to easy prey, such as sheep on farmland. Many farmers have been mystified as to why wild-dog numbers have been increasing despite increased levels of poisoning and trapping. This is why.’

While Dr Gunn applauded the Victorian government’s recent listing the dingo as threatened wildlife, he called upon the Minister for Agriculture to encourage farmers to adopt non-lethal methods of wild dog control, rather than an escalation of poisoning. ‘In the past, the breaking up of pack structures has also facilitated the hybridisation of dingoes with domestic dogs. New approaches to farm stock protection need to be adopted, rather than simply persisting with very expensive control methods that simply don’t work in the longer term.’Dr Gunn called upon the Victorian government to allocate a budget equivalent to that announced for aerial baiting to dingo conservation for the coming three year period. Contacts: Dr Ian Gunn BVSc. FACVSc. 0427 387778 (mob.) Dr Ernest Healy 03 9902 0752(w) 03 9 3065037 (h)

Websites of Interest

Chelonia Wildlife Rehabilitation & Release is located in Broome, Western Australia (Coordinates - 18 South, 122 East). Broome in turn is part of the truly spectacular wilderness area known as The Kimberley which covers an area of nearly 423,000 square kilometers (three times the area of England). Chelonia specialises in birds and reptiles, including sea turtles, and takes in around 700 patients per year. Wildlife rehabilitator, Lesley Baird, established Chelonia in 2001 after she met her first sea turtle patient, Bip. Prior to that time she had already treated around 700 patients over a 4 year period, mainly birds and reptiles. Fortunately Bip was a success story and Lesley was hooked on sea turtles from that time. http://www.chelonia.org.au


The goal of Fauna Nature is to offer products and services to attract the types of wildlife you would like to see in your own backyard. Appropriate planting and the provision of water are the starting point, and fauNature helps you go further. They will provide advice to ensure you maximise the effectiveness of our products and make the most of your wildlife garden. http://faunature.com.au/

This website hosts a list of wildlife tourism websites. http://wildlifetourism.org.au/information/related-websites/

Wildlife Bytes 17/11/10

Leading Stories

New Zealand has told Japan its whaling ships will be closely watched during the season that is about to start, Foreign Minister Murray McCully says. He said on Sunday the Japanese whalers would be coming into New Zealand's search and rescue zone and for that reason would be monitored more closely. "I've spoken to the Japanese government and told them that New Zealanders are going to be watching what they do this year," he said on TV One's Q&A program. "They set themselves a target take in terms of the number of whales they intend to catch - if that is a high number that's going to upset and antagonise New Zealanders a great deal. "Even if it's a lower number ... even that is going to be upsetting to many and they know that."

McCully said he was trying to persuade the Japanese to get out of whaling. "Sometime in the next five years they've got to replace some very expensive equipment, particularly the mother ship, if they intend to keep on whaling in the Southern Ocean," he said. "They have got to spend a large amount of money on new plant and face international hostility, particularly from New Zealand." McCully said he would be meeting Australian Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd in Canberra this week, and would discuss Japanese whaling with him and the international court case the Australian government is taking against Japan. New Zealand could join that, and McCully said he wanted to hear about it in detail before a decision was made. *NZPA

Koalas

Noosa National Park's famed koala population is on the brink of being wiped out. Just four remain in the prominent headland section, where tourists and locals regularly try to glimpse the animals. It's thought the reserve has a total of 11, taking into account animals that live on the park's perimeters at Sunshine and Peregian beaches. The last handful are among the most watched in Australia, with about 1 million visitors a year to one of the nation's most popular national parks. Wildlife carer and Noosa resident Carolyn Beaton said yesterday koalas were abundant just 10 years ago. ``Five years ago numbers in the headland section reduced to 30,'' Ms Beaton said. ``Today, just four remain.'' Koala scientist Jon Hanger said he could not confirm figures until a survey was done but numbers were very low.

``Populations that low can't sustain themselves, especially with infertility rates of about 50 per cent or less (because of chlamydia),'' Dr Hanger said. ``In the case of Noosa, you are losing a very important tourist icon and if we can't manage that, the State Government is failing dismally.'' He said if the government was prepared to intensively manage koala issues it was possible disease-free animals pushed out of development areas could be moved into Noosa, but it was pointless under current conditions. Ms Beaton said Noosa's koala losses reflected the impacts on the animals across much of the southeast from busier roads, more dogs and disease.

She said Sustainability Minister Kate Jones's department concentrated its work in the Redlands and Pine Rivers areas and while she did not begrudge this, she said Noosa koalas deserved an assessment. A management plan should also be written to stabilise and rebuild numbers, she said. Ms Jones said the government was already doing many of the things people were calling for, including spending $2.5 million on a five-year koala survey from the NSW border, west to Ipswich and north to Noosa. `We're investing $43.5 million to acquire and rehabilitate land for koalas over five years,'' she said. ``We're providing $400,000 for koala disease research funding. ``And we're spending $10 million (through transport and main roads) to retro-fit known koala black spots on major roads to make them more koala friendly.'' Ms Jones said Redlands and Pine Rivers projects were being prioritised because koalas there were most at risk, but parts of Noosa had been identified as Koala Conservation Areas and development can be regulated. *Courier Mail

Editorial

Yesterday November the 15th was Steve Irwin Day, a day set aside for remembering and celebrating the life of Steve Irwin. I was lucky enough to be at Australia Zoo yesterday, but all over the World many other people who couldnt be there, quietly remembered Steve and the amazing things he accomplished in his short life. His legacy can be seen everywhere in the children of the world who now have a special interest in wildlife because of Steve's passion for protecting our native birds and animals. So what was I doing at the Zoo? I was helping our WPAA Vice-President Bill Corn conduct wildlife photography workshops for Zoo visitors. This was the launch of our new multimedia publishing company Wildlife Bytes Pty Ltd. To see some of the images Wildlife Bytes produce, go to http://www.wildlifebytes.com.au and check out the image gallery. Any and all profits from Wildlife Bytes Pty Ltd. will go to our wildlife education programs in schools. I also had the opportunity to meet Paul Watson, whom I hadn't met before. It was an amazing day, and the Zoo was packed by visitors remembering and honoring Steve and his passion for wildlife. *WPAA

Redback Spiders

Redback spiders could pose a real threat to New Zealand's native wildlife, according to AgResearch scientist Dr Cor Vink. Although it was previously thought the Australian spider could not establish in even moderately wet climates, research published this month in the international journal Biological Invasions suggests the redback would thrive in some parts of New Zealand. AgResearch scientist Dr Cor Vink told Radio New Zealand the spider would likely live urban areas near ports which is of concern to humans, however the real threat is to native wildlife. "We have DNA evidence that is has interbred with the Katipo near Gisborne at some point in time, and also in Central Otago we have found the remains of endangered beetles, the Alexandra chafer beetle, in its web," Mr Vink said. "We haven't found any evidence of it feeding on skinks, but in Australia they certainly do feed on skinks and very small snakes even. "Their web is incredibly tough so anything that blunders into the web is fair game for it." Mr Vink said while the spider was poisonous, its bite was not fatal. "You won't die, you will just feel like you are going to," he said. "There are accounts of people saying it is like having your skin ripped off." *NZ Herald

Fraser Island Dingoes......DINGO DAY and CANDLE NIGHT..

A day of celebration, education and exciting entertainment will be held in support of the Fraser Island Dingo.. SAUSAGE SIZZLE, RAFFLES/EDUCATIONAL MATERIAL, MUSIC, SKYDIVING DISPLAY
HELICOPTER FLYOVER, WILDIFE PRESENTATION by Tess Wildlife Sanctuary. Culminating at sunset with the lighting of 3000 CANDLES creating a giant 60 metre effigy of a Dingo. This amazing display will be designed by JORGE PUJOL, foremost expert in candle-lit public art statements who has promoted humanitarian and environmental causes around the world.. Community involvement is essential to make this momentous day a success, candles/bags will be available from 10AM ..$2 per bag. VENUE: DAYMAN PARK..HERVEY BAY DATE: SUNDAY 5th. DECEMBER. COMMENCING: 10AM till SUNSET. All are invited to participate in this spectacular event.. For any enquiries please contact: Karin...(Save Fraser Island Dingoes) Ph: 07 4124 1979

Tigers

Parts of at least 1,069 tigers have been seized in tiger range countries over the past decade, according to new analysis of tiger seizures carried out by TRAFFIC, the wildlife trade monitoring network. Reduced To Skin And Bones shows that from January 2000 to April this year, parts of between 1,069 and 1,220 tigers were seized in 11 of the 13 tiger range countries - an average of 104 to 119 animals per year. Of the 11, India, China and Nepal ranked highest in the number of tiger part seizures, the report states, with India by far the highest number of tiger part seizures at 276, representing between 469 and 533 tigers. China, with 40, had the second highest number of seizures, or 116-124 tigers, and Nepal reported 39 seizures, or 113-130 tigers, according to the report. *Network Item

New Squid Found

A new species of squid has been discovered by scientists during a research cruise in the southern Indian ocean. The 70cm-long specimen is a large member of the chiroteuthid family. Squid from this group are long and slender with light-producing organs, which act as lures to attract prey. It was found during analysis of 7,000 samples gathered during last year's Seamounts cruise led by the conservation group IUCN. The project started a year ago when marine experts embarked on a six-week research expedition in the Indian Ocean. The aim of the cruise was to unveil the mysteries of seamounts - underwater mountains - in the southern Indian Ocean and to help improve conservation and management of marine resources in the area. "For 10 days now 21 scientists armed with microscopes have been working through intimidating rows of jars containing fishes, squids, zooplankton and other interesting creatures," says Alex Rogers, of the Department of Zoology at the University of Oxford, "Many specimens look similar to each other and we have to use elaborate morphological features such as muscle orientation and gut length to differentiate between them." So far, more than 70 species of squid have been identified from the Seamounts cruise, representing more than 20% of the global squid biodiversity. *BBC

Flying Foxes

Former federal environment minister Peter Garrett is standing by his decision to allow action to be taken to disperse a colony of bats in Sydney's botanic gardens. The Botanic Gardens Trust sought approval last year to use noise harassment techniques to try to get the grey-headed flying foxes to move away. The trust argued the bats were damaging trees. Mr Garrett eventually approved the dispersal because he was confident it would not have an unacceptable impact on the colony. Environment group Bat Advocacy New South Wales has lodged a Federal Court challenge, claiming his decision was legally flawed because it did not take into account mandatory considerations. But Mr Garrett says it was the right course of action. "As with all the decisions I took when I was the environment minister, I was scrupulous in taking special account of the advice that came before me," he said. "I believe I made a decision that was not only right in policy terms but was absolutely right in law. "It will now be a case of the Federal Court making a judgment on that decision, but I'm very confident that I acted both properly in terms of the advice and properly in terms of the law." *ABC

In another report from the ABC, Member for Dalrymple Shane Knuth wants the State Government to provide financial support for farmers affected by flying foxes in his north Queensland electorate. Mr Knuth says crop losses are as high as 50 per cent after the State Government banned damage mitigation permits in 2009. "What we're saying to the State Government is that if you're not going to support in some way, if you're going to issue these bans, then pay and compensate farmers - or pay for the netting so farmers can protect the crop from this devastation caused by the flying foxes," he said. He says it is an unworkable situation right now. "I challenge the State Government and the Premier and the Ministers - would you be prepared to give up 50 per cent of your pay and their pay to protect the flying fox?" he said. "This is what these farmers have to do day in, day out. "They're defenceless - they cannot do anything." *

Uranium Mining

BHP Billiton is pushing ahead with plans for an open pit uranium mine at Roxby Downs in South Australia, despite more than 4,000 complaints against it, evidence the mine has not been designed to prevent radioactive waste leaking and no plans to clean up the toxic waste it generates, according to the Australian Conservation Foundation. The mine’s legacy will be “a toxic lake as a permanent radioactive scar on the landscape,” says ACF nuclear free campaigner David Noonan. * Ecomedia Meanwhile, Prime Minister Julia Gillard has greenlighted uranium exports to Russia, reviving a controversial deal initially brokered by the Howard government. Gillard ratified an agreement with Russian president Dmitry Medvedev on 12 November at the G20 summit in Seoul. *WPAA

Mining

The Northern Territory Environment Centre is concerned iron ore mining in the south-east of the Gulf of Carpentaria will do irreversible damage to the environment. Western Desert Resources and Sherwin Iron are stepping up their campaigns to set up iron ore mines in the Territory's Roper Bar area. The targeted areas include the proposed Limmen national park, which has been registered as a proposed national park since 1991. The centre's coordinator Stuart Blanch says mining will change the face of the proposed park and the Roper area forever. "If you bring together the infrastructure - in terms of mines, roads, pipelines, railways, barging and deep-water ports - this is going to take a very intact, almost pristine area and turn it into a very cut-up, damaged, degraded area of the Territory," he said. Dr Blanch says Chief Minister Paul Henderson needs to clarify the Government's position on the area. "One one hand you have Kon Vatskalis, the Mines Minister, running around China trying to find money for major iron ore projects," he said. "On the other hand we have Karl Hampton, the Environment Minister, moving toward declaring the Limmen national park which should prevent major mining on these sensitive sites." Western Desert Resources says it is treating the area as if was already a national park. *ABC

Eagles

The number of eagles killed by turbine blades at one of Australia's largest wind farms is climbing, with a rare juvenile wedge-tailed eagle the 22nd to die at Woolnorth in Tasmania's north-west. The juvenile eagle was the only wedge-tailed bird from the critically endangered Tasmanian sub-species to successfully fledge locally last season, according to Tasmanian Greens MP Paul O'Halloran. 'We must do all that we can to avoid the loss of this critically endangered species from the entire region,'' Mr O'Halloran said. Deaths of wedge-tailed and sea eagles began to rise at Woolnorth after operations began in 2003. The rising number led to wind farm operator, Roaring 40s, testing bird-scaring devices and halting some of the farm's 62 turbines in wind conditions judged more risky for the birds. Tasmanian Environment Minister David O'Byrne said that wind farms made up only a small proportion of overall eagle deaths in the state, compared to shooting, trapping, and collisions with electrical and fencing wires. *Age

Meanwhile the ABC reports that...The Greens have used State Parliament to raise concerns about the death of a wedge-tailed eagle at the Woolnorth wind farm. Braddon MHA Paul O'Halloran says it was the north-west region's only successful fledgling for the entire breeding season. He called on the Environment Minister David O'Byrne to take action. "If no modelling or monitoring is occurring in relation to juvenile eagles in the Woolnorth area, how can you justify your inaction and will you now commit to getting modelling and monitoring underway as a matter of urgency?" Mr O'Byrne has promised to investigate. He says the incident is concerning, given the low number of breeding pairs left. "I will undertake to get further details. It is obviously concerning when any wedge-tailed eagle dies in Tasmania, we acknowledge that," he said. "We will be working assiduously with companies in the renewable energy area to minimise their impact on native populations." *ABC

Porpoises

Mary Poppins star Dick Van Dyke says porpoises saved his life - by pushing him back to shore after he fell asleep on his surfboard. The veteran actor, 84, told reporters how his ordeal began during an ill-fated trip to his local beach, reports The Guardian. "I woke up out of sight of land," he said. "I started paddling with the swells and I started seeing fins swimming around me and I thought 'I'm dead!' "They turned out to be porpoises. And they pushed me all the way to shore." As well as Mary Poppins, Van Dyke's film credits include Chitty Chitty Bang Bang and Dick Tracy. In recent years he has appeared on screen in Night at the Museum and its 2009 sequel. *Orange.co.uk

Landclearing

Land alleged to have been cleared illegally by grazier Thomas Brinkworth is to be viewed as part of proceedings in the Magistrates Court at Mount Gambier in South Australia. The court heard a comparison of satellite photos from July 2005 and April 2007 showed clearance of swampy paperbark trees and and native grass. It was told there was no approval from the Native Vegetation Council. Up to 140 acres of the Upper South-East is involved. The prosecution told the court there were no eyewitnesses to say how the land was cleared, but they allege Brinkworth allowed the clearing to open the area for pasture. *ABC

Emus

Meet Emma, the 10-month-old emu who thinks she's a dog. Emma has grown up with her best mate Charlie - a real dog - and his habits have worn off on her. Owner Craig West said the bird had been mimicking the dog for months at their home in Woodroffe, Palmerston. "Emma thinks she's a dog," he said. "She was a tiny little thing when we got her and she grew up with Charlie. "Nobody ever told her she wasn't a dog." Being tailless and unable to bark has been a bit of a challenge for the 1.5 m bird, but that hasn't stopped her copying Charlie's behaviour. "She runs around and chases stuff, like he does. She sits down when you tell her to. She fetches things and she plays with Charlie's stuffed toy," Mr West said. "She does everything like our dog - but she doesn't go for a walk on the leash yet." That's not because Emma doesn't want to - her master just hasn't found a leash yet that's big enough for the bird. "I'll get one made up especially for her shortly, then she can come for a walk around the block, together with Charlie and one of our blue-tongue lizards. He's got his own little leash already," he said. "I can't wait to take the three of them for a walk together." Until then, Emma will have to keep playing with Charlie, hoping that one day she'll grow a tail she can wag. *NT News

Kangaroos Released

Seven hand-reared red kangaroos took a four-hour road trip to freedom in the East Kimberley last week. The big reds, which were orphaned as joeys, were en route to the wild after two years in care at the Kangaroo Haven in Kununurra. While red kangaroos are not native to Kununurra, they are often flown to the remote town for access to volunteer carers. It takes 18 months for the joeys to be weaned off milk and each weighs about 20kg when they are old enough to be returned to their native habitat, 330km south of Kununurra near Halls Creek. The young kangaroos are then released at Nicholson Station, about 130km east of Halls Creek near the Northern Territory border, where they are protected against shooting and traffic. Piled into two cars for the four-hour journey home from Kununurra, the animals were as curious as the road users who saw them peering through car windows. Kangaroo Haven volunteer Mandy Watson said permission to release them at Nicholson Station had eased the pressure on carers to find natural homes for them. "All the wallaroos and the agile (wallabies), we've got places to release them, but the reds are really, really hard because they have to go back to that area and to find somewhere that is not near a community or anywhere where they are going to get shot is pretty difficult," she said. Nicholson Station is owned by the Holmes a Court family. *YahooNews



Advocates of a south-west kangaroo processing facility believe the move makes economic sense and would prevent thousands of carcasses rotting across the region each year. Southern Grampians Shire councillor Paul Battista last night asked the council to seek Agriculture Minister Joe Helper's support for the idea. He said Victoria could follow the commercial model used in New South Wales, where tags are issues for shooters after an assessment of kangaroo numbers by parks and wildlife staff. The council supported a local processing site when the issue was last debated in mid-2008, though the state government rejected the idea. Port Fairy resident Peter Riddle, a licensed shooter who culls kangaroos on a property near Cavendish, is pursuing the plan with Hamilton-based Tesbury Meats. "Every state in Australia has a kangaroo industry but Victoria," he said. Between 70,000 and 100,000 kangaroos are killed on private Victorian land each year. ADVOCATES of a south-west kangaroo processing facility believe the move makes economic sense and would prevent thousands of carcasses rotting across the region each year. Southern Grampians Shire councillor Paul Battista last night asked the council to seek Agriculture Minister Joe Helper's support for the idea. He said Victoria could follow the commercial model used in New South Wales, where tags are issues for shooters after an assessment of kangaroo numbers by parks and wildlife staff. The council supported a local processing site when the issue was last debated in mid-2008, though the state government rejected the idea. Port Fairy resident Peter Riddle, a licensed shooter who culls kangaroos on a property near Cavendish, is pursuing the plan with Hamilton-based Tesbury Meats. "Every state in Australia has a kangaroo industry but Victoria," he said. Between 70,000 and 100,000 kangaroos are killed on private Victorian land each year. *Warnammbool Standard

Ed Comment, Many of us have wriiten to the Council, their email addy is council@sthgrampians.vic.gov.au for those who havent written yet.

New Kangaroo Petition http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/stop-kangaroo-meatworks/

New Facebook Cause http://www.causes.com/causes/546957-stop-kangaroo-slaughter-and-meatworks-in-australia?m=208cad6c&recruiter_id=18921072



A wildlife park operator in the Grampians says the local kangaroo population is not big enough to warrant an increase in hunting. The Southern Grampians Shire will ask the Victorian Government to increase the amount of kangaroo meat shooters can take from private property. The current limit is 80 kilograms. Pam Turner runs a wildlife shelter and says the kangaroo population needs to be protected. "Somebody once said to me that it's a poor farm that can't sustain a few kangaroos ... I'm living here on a working farm, I'm in a position to see the impact of kangaroos on the land and I would dispute that they're in the proportions mentioned by those that want this to happen," she said. *ABC


Kangaroos are being trapped and killed on Red Hill by barbed wire fencing designed to ''protect gum trees from vehicles'', a Deakin resident says. Rosemary Matley says fencing installed at the site earlier this year was too high for kangaroos to jump over and many were becoming entangled in its wires. She has seen a joey hanging dead and recently took this photo of a large, ''terrified'' kangaroo whose feet had been caught. ''It was in absolute agony,'' Mrs Matley said. ''I called the ranger and I don't know the fate of the kangaroo but when I came back the next morning the fence was cut and bloodied.' ''Every time I walk up there some poor kangaroo is bashing into the fence because it can't jump over the top.'' For more on this story, including details of a letter Mrs Matley received in response to her own raising the concerns with Jon Stanhope, see the print edition of today's Canberra Times. *Canberra Times

New Insects in Amber

A team of researchers is unlocking 50million-year-old secrets as they examine one of the largest ever amber finds. Together with Indian and US colleagues, researchers from the University of Bonn have been examining amber finds from northwest India for two years. Meanwhile, it turns out that this may be one of the largest amber finds ever worldwide. The insects trapped in the fossil resin cast a new light on the history of India; it seems that it did not drift over the Earth's oceans in isolation for as long as has been assumed so far. The quality of the find is also causing great excitement. Normally what can be seen in the ancient tree resin is almost always just a paper-thin façade. If sliced down the middle, you would find no more than a hollow space covered in some sort of ‘insect photo wallpaper'. But this does not apply to the amber Bonn paleontologist Professor Dr. Jes Rust and his colleagues have been looking at for two years. The lumps that resemble herbal cough drops are full of many insect bodies, some of which are extremely well preserved, despite the fact that they have been there for 50 million years. Better yet: The petrified resin is also very easily convinced to release its contents again. *Wildlife Extra Read more http://www.wildlifeextra.com.au/go/news/india-amber.html#cr

Animals Used in Research

The latest national statistics for the use of animals in research have been collated, but with so many 'loopholes' in states' reporting, it is difficult to portray an accurate picture of how many animals are actually used in experiments in this country. According to the latest figures obtained by Humane Research Australia, the number of animals used during 2008 was 5,116,787; however, Queensland, Western Australia and Northern Territory figures have not been made available. Therefore, using the last available figures from those states (589,047 in 2004 for Qld and 1,049,379 in 2007 for WA), this would bring the total number of animals used to more than 6.7 million. The figure includes 445 primates and 5,672 dogs, as well as native animals, fish, stock animals and poultry, in addition to those commonly associated with laboratory use - rabbits, rats, mice and guinea pigs.

The procedures ranged from 'Observational studies involving minor interference' to 'Major physiological challenge', 'Production of genetically modified animals' and 'Death as an end point'. New South Wales and Victoria have recorded the highest numbers used - 3,261,386 and 1,216,393 respectively. A full breakdown of the figures is available at www.aahr.org.au/statistics.html Chief Executive Officer, Helen Marston, said today "It's disappointing that Western Australia and Queensland no longer provide their state statistics and one can only wonder what they have to hide." "If, as stated by the WA Minister for Local Government, collation of data is too 'resource intensive', then perhaps they should reconsider issuing licenses to experiment in the first place." The extrapolation of data from animals to humans can be dangerously misleading due to anatomic, genetic and metabolic differences. It is therefore not the most efficacious method of medical research. Australia should be investing in the development and validation of more humane and scientifically valid research methods - as occurs in Europe and the United States. Ms Marston concluded "Australia has a notorious record of using large numbers of animals in experiments compared with other nations, but rather than commit to reducing the number used, some states seem to have opted to conceal the figures instead." *Animals Australia Media Release

Message from a Carer...I'm out of here!

Today I handed over to DERM officers a 70gram baby as a C3 bat, the bat (in my opinion) was a healthy baby, hungry and frightened. The person who brought it to me (the husband) told me they had picked it up Saturday morning, he brought it to me at 5pm Sunday evening, and he said they had given it some milk and water. On Sunday afternoon, I gather, the young son got bitten by the bat, the boy was poking at the bat when the father wasn’t watching, the bite from the 70 gram almost toothless baby bat did not break the skin, (according to the father) but the boy yelled and the mother went ape, racing the boy to hospital, she had been told (by her swimming instructor) that “a” child had been bitten and died, and so the panic.

Why did they kept the bat for two days, I don’t know. Why did they not realize/care that it was a baby frightened, hungry and cold It was hanging on a cane basket inside a big cardboard carton (that’s how it was delivered to me) nothing to cling to. The husband brought the bat to me while his wife was having a panic attack at the hospital, someone told him too, he said. I told XXXX from Health when she rang this morning that I believed the bat was healthy, she said that was not what the doctors at the hospital said and from what she understood from them, it had all the earmarks of a sick bat. So perhaps this 70gram hungry frightened weak little baby viciously attacked her poor little son, I don’t know. Who knows what this women said to the doctors, they certainly didn’t see the bat and if the father said the bite did not break the skin what is going on here.

Two rangers came to pick it up duly gloved and protected it seems they expected an aggressive attack bat not the 70 gram baby I gave them. I handed it over after ensuring he had enough valium in his milk to sedate, maybe kill him. Does this story sound familiar, how many times have you heard it or similar This whole episode has affected me quiet badly and I have been blubbering on and off all day, much to the consternation of those working with me. And you know what folks....... I can’t do this anymore, I can’t cope with the stupidity, the cruelty and the lack of interest in the welfare of carers by DERM or Health, by politicians, by the general public and the constant ongoing attacks on flying-fox in this area. This will be my will be my last year as a carer......19 years in all....thats enough...*

Possums

Melbourne's parks and gardens are being prepared for battle over the city's pesky possums. In one corner are the furry marsupials and their vocal defenders. In the other is Lord Mayor Robert Doyle, who is threatening to unleash a blitzkrieg of predators - powerful owls. Never mind that possums are a protected species, Cr Doyle yesterday declared war on the "exploding" population of "vermin". "They drive me mad," he told 3AW. "I know they're protected, (but) to me they're vermin. I come out of my house in South Melbourne and I'm virtually waist deep in possum poo." Cr Doyle believes he has found the answer to the problem in the form of Australia's largest owl. In a trial to begin early next year, nesting boxes designed to attract powerful owls will be placed in Royal Park in Parkville, and the Fitzroy and Flagstaff gardens in the city.

Banned by law from "culling" possums, Cr Doyle said he wanted to use nature to help banish his pet hate. "They are not protected from the powerful owl," Cr Doyle said. The latest figures from the City of Melbourne's annual possum surveys show the Carlton Gardens have the highest estimated populations (194), followed by Fitzroy Gardens (185) and Yarra Park (111), with the common brushtail possum the most prevalent. Rheya Linden from Animal Active branded the Mayor "ignorant". "Possums are fully protected native wildlife. They are native species," she said. "Instead of trying to create an artificial predator-prey relationship, wouldn't it be better thinking to actually introduce more native trees? "One of the problems is that councils like his have really disrupted the inner-city habitat for native wildlife considerably by introducing a European type of garden setting. That's where our problems began. "Possums don't do too much damage at all to native trees." *HeraldSun

Whales

The world's biggest marine mammals are delighting tourists and whale trackers this spring as they stop in Tasmanian waters on their way to Antarctica to feed on krill. The significant rebound in the number of humpback and southern right whales has also buoyed hopes whale watching will become a Tasmanian tourism drawcard. One tour boat skipper expects to notch up 100 humpback sightings by December. "November is the peak time for whale watching and this year has been absolutely fantastic," MV Attitude skipper Craig Parsey said yesterday. "We saw 44 in the last two weeks and hope to have spotted well over 100 humpback whales before December." MV Attitude is operated by Sealife Experience Tasmania, which runs Tasman Wild and Rugged Cruises each day from Eaglehawk Neck and Port Arthur. Tour guide Ange Anderson took these photographs during a recent trip in rough conditions off the southern tip of Tasman Island, looking towards Cape Raoul.

Mr Parsey said many of the whales were keen to interact with humans. "We stop 100m away, turn everything off and nine times out of the 10 the whales will come over," he said. The humpback whale is listed as a vulnerable species and the southern right is still listed as endangered. Department of Primary Industries, Water, Parks and Environment biologist Kris Carlyon said records showed 80 southern right whales and 45 humpback whales had been sighted in Tasmanian waters since May. "The whales are using Tasmania's sheltered waters for rest and recreation and they head down into the Southern Ocean and Antarctica to feed," Mr Carlyon said. "The sightings might not all be individual whales but numbers appear to be rebounding with more and more sightings every year." Mr Carlyon said humpback numbers had increased substantially since Hobart's whaling industry declined in the 1850s. The southern right was also rebounding but not as quickly.

The whales swim through Bass Strait before heading down the East Coast and out towards the Southern Ocean. "Some travel down the West Coast, too, but there is not the human population out on the water there to spot them," Mr Carlyon said. "They are an amazing sight but there are guidelines to follow and these can be found on our website." The whale resurgence has coincided with a push by the Greens to declare Tasmania's coast a whale sanctuary. In August, a southern right whale gave birth in the River Derwent off Taroona. It was believed to be the first birth in the Derwent since 1820. Whale experts have predicted that the southern right, which was almost hunted to extinction in the 1840s, could come back to levels where Hobart residents would again regularly hear it blowing and socialising in the Derwent within a decade. The tourism industry is hoping today's fascination with watching whales, rather than killing them for their oil and bones, will open up new eco-tourism opportunities. *Mercury

Gliders

More than one life may be saved if a mystery woman and her helper can provide some all-important information. A woman travelling east to Port Macquarie stopped on the Oxley Hwy and scooped a native animal off the road last Thursday. A passing male motorist helped her to put the marsupial in a cardboard box which she dropped off at the Long Flat Shop, 80kms west of Port Macquarie. The greater glider was then passed into the care of volunteer organisation For Australian Wildlife Needing Aid (FAWNA). FAWNA carer Debbie Wilton said it is vital the wildlife rescue group learn where the glider was found because it has a particularly small habitat area. “She has also recently had a baby so it is really important we return her because it may be still alive in a tree hollow and waiting for mum to come back,” Mrs Wilton said.

Greater gliders feed exclusively on eucalyptus leaves, buds, flowers and mistletoe and also will only eat the plants in their range – which might be as small as one hectare. It is the largest gliding possum in Australia and has a long bushy tail. The glider was dehydrated, grazed and covered in maggots when found. “She is really gentle and placid. She sat on my lap like a cat and just let me clean her,” Mrs Wilton said. FAWNA carers have a licence to rehabilitate wildlife and it is a requirement that animals in their care are released back into the environment. Now rehydrated and eating well, the greater glider is on the road to recovery. Carers will continue watching her to see if an old leg injury inhibits her ability to climb, but if all is well she soon will be returned to her home – if it becomes known where home is. Long Flat Shop owner Wayne Bell said the glider’s saviour was tall with reddish hair and, on the day, was wearing a black dress. Anyone who may have any information is asked to contact Mrs Wilton 0427 667 166. *Port Macquarie News

Interesting Web Sites.

For those who love hedgehogs, and plenty of people do. The British Hedgehog Preservation Society website is a simple but effective site for kids who love hedgehogs. With plenty of information on the spiky critters, a colouring-in project to download, and a gallery of children’s drawings to look at, this site is a good bet for younger children.

http://www.britishhedgehogs.org.uk/


The Australian Wildlife Health Network (AWHN) is an initiative of the Australian Government and is managed under the Wildlife Exotic Disease Preparedness Program. Its mission is to promote and facilitate collaborative links across Australia in the investigation and management of wildlife health in support of human and animal health, biodiversity and trade.

http://www.wildlifehealth.org.au

OZARK is the Australian Wildlife Carer's Network. It is a vital communication link enabling wildlife carers from a wide range of areas and experience, to learn from one another, to discuss pertinent issues and to be part of a non-political supportive community of fellow wildlife workers and carers.

http://www.ozarkwild.org/