Monday, July 30, 2012
Wildlife Bytes Australia 31/7/12
Koala Summit at Noosa
CQUniversity, Noosa Sheraton Noosa Resort and Spa, Cnr Eumundi-Noosa Road & Goodchap Street River Lounge, Noosaville, August 7th to 8th. Representatives from four koala conservation organisations that are active in the Sunshine Coast region are co-hosting this event - Sunshine Coast Koala Wildlife Rescue, Koala Action Pine Rivers, Moreton Bay Koala Rescue and Koala Diaries. These groups recognise that, without a high level, well co-ordinated management approach, functional extinction of the koala on the Sunshine Coast will be a reality. The purpose of the Summit is to provide a forum for invited koala experts, Sunshine Coast Council personnel, and community groups to share information and, together, identify actions that will preserve wild koala populations on the Sunshine Coast and form the basis of a regional approach to koala management. Accordingly, it is intended that the programme will explore (1) the status, trends and threats to koalas; (2) the scope of high level strategic and holistic planning; (3) regional and local strategies for koala conservation (conserving koalas hand-in-hand with good development); and (4) key priorities for the Sunshine Coast region. The Summit will draw from examples of issues, trends and real, action-focussed projects that are working in other regions. For all registration enquiries, please contact Anika Lehmann, Moreton Bay Koala Rescue Telephone: 0401 685 483
Email: koalasummit@gmail.com
In Deb Tabart's latest eZine she states, "In my discussions with the United States lawyers who support the AKF totally with our desire to have a Koala Protection Bill I learnt a great deal. One is that the new legislation must not link to the EPBC Act, because for one, it is going to be watered down (is already by the sounds of things) and two, because it has too much ministerial discretion. This is key and I keep saying to both them and to legal people here, we must see the Koala, like the Bald Eagle is to the United States; so important that it needs its own legislation. In my meetings in DC and with a huge flu making me lose my voice it was frustrating and exhilarating all at the same time to hear the discussions about what we can and will do for the future of this legislation. There are some tremendous minds in Washington DC on such matters." * Deb Tabart
Ed Comment; At WPAA we couldnt agree more. The EPBC Act is useless to protect wildlife. It has been so watered down by succesive Federal Labor and Liberal governments so that only in very few instances has it been sucessfully used to protect habitat, and only in obvious instances, like the illfated Traveston Dam proposal. All our wildlife needs its own legislation, the EPBC Act just doesnt cut the mustard, the Act is designed more to facilitate development than to protect wildlife. *
Two koalas have been killed on Sunshine Coast roads over the past two days, in another savage blow to the dwindling local koala population. One adult koala was killed on Sunday afternoon on the Bruce Hwy near Noosa, and the other, a male joey, was struck on Monday night near Sunshine Beach. Sunshine Coast Koala Rescue's Ray Chambers is saddened but not surprised by the loss of two of the Coast's koalas. "It's not unusual for us to receive four or five calls around Queensland about dead or injured koalas in a weekend," he said. He said the Coast's koala population was in severe decline. * Read more .. http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2012/07/25/another-weekend-another-spate-of-koala-deaths/
Shooting in National Parks
Shooters’ arrogance.....The arrogance of power is clearly shown in the Shooters and Fishers Party’s website Q&A about Barry O’Farrell’s sleazy deal to allow them access to our national parks for recreational killing. One of the most telling Q&As is this one: ‘Will parks really be closed to other users while hunters hunt, and will NPWS staff have to supervise them, or will it be like in state forests?’ Answer: ‘It will be as it is in state forests. National parks will not be closed and there will be no close supervision by NP staff.’
See http://www.shootersandfishers.org.au/news/faqs-hunting-in-national-parks.
So the shooters are to be allowed into our parks unsupervised by those we pay to look after them? This shows how badly cobbled together this deal is and how totally corrupt the whole Liberal National Party have become when it comes to doing sleazy deals for their state asset sale agenda – you know, the one they kept secret during the election campaign. The facts are that the NSW Liberal/Nationals coalition government has made our beautiful national parks into private game-hunting estates for these weirdos with their blood lust and desire-to-kill psychosis. Wanting to kill animals for pleasure is surely that, a mental disease and psychosis; just ask any psychologist. The people of NSW must be feeling very insecure knowing that the state is in the hands of a bunch of gun-toting pleasure killers whose only agenda is to get their own way no matter what, even selling off the assets your grandparents and parents worked hard to amass. This is the sad and sorry state of conservative politics in this nation nowadays and must cause people to pause and think if this is where we want to go, especially as we see constant mass shootings all over the world by psychotics who would not have been able to do as much damage and murder if they simply did not have access to guns. * Echonet.com.au
Wildlife Trade
"Last year, more rhinos were killed in South Africa to supply demand in Vietnam than have ever been killed before - it was the absolute peak last year. This year, it's looking to be worse."
Last year, 448 rhinos were killed in South Africa. Conservationists have pointed to demand from Asia, in particular Vietnam. According to Traffic, Vietnamese made up 24 of the 43 arrests of Asian nationals for rhino crimes in South Africa this year, reported The Guardian last Monday. *
Read more .. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/1216548/1/.html
Platypus
Environmentalist Ian Kiernan has joined a campaign against a proposed $47 million pipeline that opponents say will threaten native wildlife in central western NSW. Orange City Council (OCC) wants to build the pipeline from the Macquarie River to secure its future water needs. But the Clean Up Australia founder told a meeting of the Orange and Region Water Security Alliance at NSW Parliament House on Thursday that OCC needed to find a plan with a smaller environmental footprint. "To be contemplating pumping out of the Macquarie River is just not on," Mr Kiernan said. Karl Schaerf, a spokesman for local recreational fishers, said the pipeline would an huge risk to the "iconic" native animals living in and around the river, including platypuses. "I am deeply concerned about the impact on other inhabitants of the river, in particular water rats, platypuses, water dragons," he said. He said endangered trout cod, quoll and black swan populations along the river would also be threatened. NSW Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham, a former Orange City councillor, said the plan to pump 1.665 megalitres annually from the Macquarie River into Burrendong Dam was irresponsible and should not be paid for from NSW coffers. He said he would attempt to bring a motion to parliament ruling the project out. OCC spokesman Nick Redmond told AAP the pipeline would have minimal environmental impact and would help drought-proof the city. "This project will deliver the greatest amount of water security for Orange with the least impact," he said.*PerthNow
New AntiPrivacy Laws
These next few weeks are crucial to community groups as the Government's computer AntiPrivacy discussion paper is debated in committee and reported on to Parliament. With such a short time allowed for consultation, the Attorney-General and the Government are trying to rush these laws through Parliament and avoid public scrutiny. This is particularly important for community groups who may come under unwanted Government scrutiny. Add your name to the petition and tell the Government to protect our civil liberties:
http://www.getup.org.au/protect-us-but-respect-us
Seals
A nature-lover's paradise, Kangaroo Island off South Australia is renowned for its native fauna, which includes penguins, koalas, sea lions and New Zealand fur seals. But now the wildlife is getting a little too wild for some locals' liking: the seals are eating the penguins.Local tourism operators, who run nightly tours of fairy penguin colonies, say bird numbers have halved around the island's rocky coastline. They are calling for the fur seals - which, despite their name, are native to Australia as well as New Zealand - to be shot with beanbag rounds, a riot control method, to keep them out of penguin habitats. John Ayliffe, manager of the Kangaroo Island Penguin Centre, said five penguins had been taken by seals near the town of Kingscote recently. He warned that the fur seal population was booming, and said that unless drastic measures were taken the penguins could become extinct on the island and the nearby Fleurieu Peninsula. *Read more .. http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=10822699
Crocodiles
The RSPCA has slammed a brazen act of animal cruelty after a crocodile was found speared with an arrow in the Ross River. Boaties spotted the 1m freshwater croc struggling to move on the upper reaches of the river on Sunday afternoon and found it had been punctured in the stomach. Emma Sprunt, who was cruising the river with friends, told The Townsville Bulletin she was horrified by what she saw. "I was absolutely disgusted, it is a shame to know that it was a human being that did that," she said. "It made us feel quite sick that somebody could do that to an animal and if they have done that to a crocodile, what other animals have they done it to?" RSPCA Inspector Frank Bebernitz said it was a serious crime under the animal cruelty act and the offender could face a $10,000 fine. "It is very disappointing and it makes me want to question people's ethics towards animals, particularly native wildlife," he said. Department of Environment and Heritage Protection wildlife management director Dr Ashley Bunce said any attempt to harm a protected animal would be fully investigated. "The arrow is likely to be causing severe pain to the small crocodile and could lead to painful complications and death," she said. "The arrow will be recovered and will assist in investigations." *Townsville Buletin
Bats
The secrets of one of Sydney's most mysterious creatures - tiny insect-eating bats - have been revealed. A three-year study has found the greatest number of species inhabit the less-developed suburbs of the city where the soil is good, rather than the sandy national parks. Western suburbs including Penrith, Blacktown, Liverpool and Cabramatta are particularly attractive to the microbats, most of which live in the hollows of old trees. A few species live in caves and can use man-made structures, such as old sheds, roofs or stormwater drains to roost. But only one species, the most common one - Gould's wattled bat - can tolerate highly urban areas, such as central Sydney.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/insecteating-microbats-call-citys-western-suburbs-home-20120722-22i9n.html#ixzz21lSkVoaA
Quolls
Conservationists and Parks Victoria will investigate a fresh tiger quoll sighting in the Otway Ranges. There was a confirmed sighting of the critically-endangered carnivore in the ranges for the first time in a decade in May. Lizzie Corke of the Conservation Ecology Centre at Cape Otway says cameras will be used to try to confirm the latest sighting and sniffer dogs are being trained to find faeces. She says a family has given an accurate description of a tiger quoll. "The quoll was sighted not too far away from where the last scat was found and the description that was given of the sighting was just beautiful, really spot on and it certainly sounds like this family did see a tiger quoll," she said. *ABC
1080
"They can basically wipe the sheep out." "They take little lambs, they'll pull down full-grown sheep, they'll bite goats and rams and then they'll just get infected and die. "They'll even take down calves and attack cows if they're hungry enough and there's nothing else for them to eat." Michael Trant, a co-owner of a sheep station at Yalgoo in the state's Mid West, describes the devastation wild dogs can cause. His property is on the borderline of wild dog territory. Fortunately, he has managed to protect the majority of his flock of 10,000 sheep. "Our neighbours have lost a lot but we haven't got huge numbers of dogs yet, but they're certainly building up," he said. There is some help on the way with more landholders now able to apply to use 1080 bait. Previously, access to the bait was restricted to a limited number of people. Landholders had to wait for organised baiting days where an accredited injector would prepare 1080 oat baits.
Read more .. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-23/a-new-effort-is-underway-to-control-wild-dogs/4148882?section=wa
Turtles
One of the world's rarest tortoises has been giving a lifeline in the swamps of our northern suburbs. More than 30 juvenile western swamp tortoises were released into Twin Swamps Nature Reserve in Perth’s northern suburbs in a conservation milestone. Environment Minister Bill Marmion said the release of 34 tortoises was part of the State’s recovery plan to increase the chance of survival for Australia’s most endangered reptile. “The plan has exceeded all expectations with more than 570 captive-bred tortoises released since the recovery program commenced in 1990,” he said. “We have certainly come a long way from the 1960s to the early 1980s, when there were only two known and monitored wild populations of the species at Twin Swamps and another near Bullsbrook at Ellen Brook nature reserves.” The release at Twin Swamps Nature Reserve was the 12th translocation at the reserve since 1994.
Fact File
* Before release, tortoises weighed, measured and marked to ensure their growth and progress in the reserve could be monitored
* Captive-bred western swamp tortoises were previously released at Twin Swamps Nature Reserve from 1994 to 2002; in 2005 and in August 2011
* Western Swamp Tortoise Recovery Program co-ordinated by DEC, in partnership with Perth Zoo, The University of WA and the Friends of the Western Swamp Tortoise community group.
Camels
Outback Australia is battling an ecological disaster. According to today's estimates, 750,000 feral camels are roaming wild, and there's a warning they could change the environment so fundamentally that dust clouds could envelope Sydney. In fact, some estimates put the number of camels at 1 million, maybe even more. Whatever their exact number, for traditional owners they're destroying sacred sites, and farmers are finding it hard to manage their stock. While it's agreed feral camels are changing life in the centre, a row's brewing between pastoralists and traditional owners about managing the pests. Conor Duffy filed this report for Uluru for Lateline. And a warning, the story contains some coarse language. *
Read more .. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-24/pastoralists-and-traditional-owners-clash-over/4152386
Ed Comment; This is a pretty interesting article. Our governments have spent hundreds of thousands of taxpayers dollars aerial shooting and poisoning camels, and there are now more camels than ever before! We have to wonder when governments will get serious about eradicating misplaced exotic animals rather than just throwing money at inhumane and ineffective bandaid strategies that dont actually reduce the numbers.......but do make good media releases for the government departments.
Butterflies
Monarch butterflies with dark orange wings fly further than those with light orange wings, new research has found. Animal ecologist Dr Andrew Davis, of the University of Georgia, and colleagues, report their findings today in the journal PLoS One. "Up to now there's been a lot of research done comparing one species of butterfly to another in terms of their wing colour, but very few people have actually looked at individuals within the same species," says Davis. "I hope that this paper will pave the way for a new line of inquiry." Davis says there are subtle differences in the orange colour between monarch butterflies, even though they are raised on the same type of host plant. "I was interested in knowing what the biological significance of all of those different shade was," he says. North American monarch butterflies breed in summer and some generations later migrate thousands of kilometres south to Mexico for the winter.
Read more .. http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/07/26/3553431.htm
Dingoes
A German tourist played dead and then climbed a tree to escape dingoes that savagely mauled him as he slept on a Fraser Island roadside after becoming lost at night. The man, aged 23, is understood to have drunk a considerable amount of alcohol before getting up to go to the toilet about 2.30am on Saturday. He became disoriented and took a wrong turn onto Woralie Rd, walking about 800m away from the K'Gari campsite before he sat down and went to sleep - only to be startled awake some time later as dingoes sank their teeth into his limbs. After attempts to fight off the animals failed, the man tried to play dead in hope they would leave him alone. However, the unprovoked attack continued and the man ran from the scene with two or three dingoes in hot pursuit. Covered in dingo bites, scratches and blood, the man climbed a tree to escape , and waited until the animals left before trying to climb down. But his ordeal was not over - he fell from a branch, and lay on the ground before going to sleep again. Just before 6.30am, he recovered enough to walk back into the camp, where his tour guide arranged medical help.
The man's worst injuries were three deep puncture wounds that tore flesh from his right calf, and deep lacerations to his scalp and eyelid. While almost his entire body was covered in scratches, bites and bruising, only his throat and abdomen were left untouched - suggesting the animals may not have tried to kill him. "To have been attacked while no-one else was around, by at least two dingoes, he is very fortunate to be alive," Department of National Parks regional manager Ross Belcher said. "It may have been two sub-adult dingoes being aggressive and guarding their turf." While dingoes that attack people are usually euthanased, the German tourist could not identify the animals involved so none will be put down. Rangers later found the jacket the man had been wearing, that had been ripped to shreds After undergoing minor surgery, the man is in a stable condition in Hervey Bay hospital. The man was on a tour with the Rainbow Beach Adventure Company, which did not answer telephone calls yesterday. Rangers have increased patrols on Fraser Island as a result of the incident. *
There are a number of strange things in this story. Firstly you need to replace the words aggressive dingo's with the words "hungry/starving dingo's". Then you have to ask yourself about the tourist that was attacked. This person was so smashed, so drunk that after being attacked once and then falling out of a tree onto the ground, unbelievably.....he fell asleep on the ground AGAIN. This person was so intoxicated that he would have little memory of any of the events. I would suggest that this attack would not have happened at all if this person had not of been so heavily intoxicated. A starving dingo could not be blamed for thinking it had found a dead carcass on an island where food is scarce for the dingo's. When you consider the dingo's being hungry and on their own territory they really just reacted as a wild animal would and then we have to wonder what this person did and how he reacted. *Online Comment.
Kangaroos
Police have been called in to investigate the discovery of nine dead kangaroos at Wharparilla near Echuca, in Victoria's north. Local resident Amanda Grundy found the two adult kangaroos and seven joeys on the side of a road at the weekend. She says some had gun shot wounds. "We were driving into town and we came across them, so I stopped just to make sure there were no baby joeys alive still in pouches," she said. "Then I found that there were gloves and some rope and over a dozen stubbies with the kangaroos and even some kangaroos had stubbies under their heads as pillows," she said. * ABC
Twelve months after security gates were installed at Morisset Hospital to stop vandals killing local kangaroos, more are being killed and injured after the gates were illegally removed.
In the past three weeks four injured kangaroos have been treated by animal rescue staff. Hunter Health says the gates have been broken by vandals on a number of occasions and mobile security units are now making regular patrols while repairs are underway. Margaret Howley from the Wildlife Rescue Service says the attacks on the animals are difficult to comprehend. "We have had four casualties come in which is unusual compared to what's been happening in the past 12 months," she said. "All suspicious injuries. "One of them was a very tiny baby inside the mother's pouch. "The mother was dead and unfortunately that baby didn't make it. "A large female and she was very concussed and the other was a 10 kilo male with very similar symptoms." Ms Howley from the Wildlife Rescue Service says the animals appear to have been injured during a time when the gates are undergoing repair. "My rescuer told me the boom gates on the Bonnells Bay entrance was not there and he made inquiries and realised it was away being fixed," she said. "So something has happened to that gate and it is during that timeframe that we got those injured roos in. *ABC
Snakes
A prehistoric reptile, half snake and half lizard, which lived 70 million years ago, has been unveiled by scientists. The two foot-long creature, known as Coniophis, was a ‘transitional snake’ with a snake’s body and a lizard’s head. New analysis of its fossilized remains shows snakes evolved their modern skulls on land - reigniting a long running dispute over whether they are marine or terrestrial animals. It was discovered over a century ago embedded in rocks in mountainous Wyoming in the west of the US but palaeontologists took another look at long neglected remains to get new clues to how it looked and lived. Dr Nick Longrich, of Yale University in Connecticut, said: ‘The snake would have been about two feet long - so it was fairly small. It was non-venomous - venomous snakes evolved after the dinosaurs went extinct. ‘But it’s possible it constricted its prey like many primitive snakes do today. ‘Coniophis lived alongside a number of familiar dinosaurs - it would have slithered beneath the feet of animals like T. rex and Triceratops
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2179157/Half-snake-half-lizard-Strange-new-dinosaur-slithered-beneath-feet-T-Rex-shows-reptiles-lost-legs.html#ixzz21lUxtAZT
Wildlife Pets
The illegal reptile trade is booming on the Gold Coast with almost one a month being seized by authorities. Of most concern is a king cobra which is on the loose after escaping from a home in Helensvale, on the Gold Coast. Veteran snake catcher Tony Harrison has told The Gold Coast Bulletin he was warned in a late-night phone call to watch out for the aggressive and highly venomous snake. Mr Harrison is on the hunt for the creature. It comes after a similar incident in Robina a few months ago when Mr Harrison captured a Burmese python - a monster that can grow to 15 metres and weigh more than 100kg. "People like to have these types of reptiles because they're unusual, but the problem comes when they escape from enclosures or get too big and people let them go," Mr Harrison said. "I was called by an anonymous bloke the other month who said 'keep an eye out for a kingy in Helensvale', I asked if he meant a king eastern brown and he said 'no a king cobra'. "King cobras are not something you want in suburbia and they could thrive in the Australian climate."
Cobras grow up to 5m or more and while their venom is not the most potent among venomous snakes, the amount they can deliver in a single bite is enough to kill 20 people, or even an elephant. When confronted, they can raise up to one-third of their bodies straight off the ground and still move forward to attack. They will also flare out their iconic hoods and emit a bone-chilling hiss that sounds almost like a growling dog. Mr Harrison added: "Some exotic are harmless, like the Burmese python, but it can grow to 15m and weigh over 100kg, which is not something you want to find slithering around.'' He said he recently found a Burmese python in Robina. "The main concern is the diseases these snakes can bring in and the destruction they can cause to the environment if set loose." Biosecurity Queensland confirmed to the Bulletin it has confiscated 20 illegal animals from the Gold Coast in the past two years, four of them snakes. Anyone caught with an illegal animal faces an $88,000 fine. Exotic animals are either bought on the black market or smuggled into Australia from overseas. American corn snakes, red-eared turtles, tortoises, chameleons and boa constrictors are all popular illegal pets. *GoldCoast Bulletin
Climate Change
The Greenland ice sheet is melting at an "unprecedented" rate, according to NASA satellite data that shows 97 per cent of the vast mass is undergoing some form of melting. "This was so extraordinary that at first I questioned the result: was this real or was it due to a data error?" a NASA researcher, Son Nghiem, said. About half the ice sheet usually shows signs of melting in a northern hemisphere summer, but the satellite data shows that between July 8 and July 12 the melt extended to cover almost all of Greenland. A crescent shaped crack in the Petermann Glacier in Greenland. Photo: AFP PHOTO / NASA It follows the breaking off of a giant chunk of ice, about twice the size of Manhattan, from Greenland's Petermann Glacier, this month. "For several days this month, Greenland's surface ice cover melted over a larger area than at any time in more than 30 years of satellite observations," NASA researchers said in a statement. "Nearly the entire ice cover of Greenland, from its thin, low-lying coastal edges to its two-mile [3.2-kilometre] thick centre, experienced some degree of melting at its surface, according to measurements from three independent satellites analysed by NASA and university scientists."
They described the event as being without precedent because such a massive loss of ice has not been observed by humans before, although estimates derived from studying old, compressed ice suggest that melts on this scale happen about once every 150 years. "Researchers have not yet determined whether this extensive melt event will affect the overall volume of ice loss this summer and contribute to sea-level rise," NASA said. About one-fifth of the annual sea-level rise experienced globally is attributed to the melting of the ice sheet. The manager of Australia's climate monitoring section at the Bureau of Meteorology, Karl Braganza, said the observation was a disturbing development. "In terms of just one event taken in isolation, you can't tell much from it. We had a similar event back in the 1800s so it does happen from time to time," Dr Braganza said. "But clearly there is a trend going on in the Arctic this century. We have warmer ocean temperatures, now what looks like particularly large reductions in sea ice, and large chunks of glaciers breaking off."
The Arctic appears to be locked in a vicious cycle, where rising concentrations of greenhouse gases meant higher temperatures, and more melting ice, which meant that, in turn, less of the sun's incoming heat was reflected away from the Earth. "What's alarming to scientists is that we know the Arctic ice is a key feedback, and the warming in the Arctic has been slightly faster than was predicted 10 or 20 years ago," Dr Braganza said. "This year, we measured CO2 emissions in the Arctic at above 400 parts per million for the first time. That's the first time it's been at that level in 3 million years. Back then during the Pliocene period, the Greenland ice sheet wasn't a feature. Now we've taken the atmospheric chemistry back to that territory." The NASA statement said the huge melt had been driven by an unusual "heat dome" of relatively warm air that travelled across Greenland this month. The warm patch spiked just before July 18, and has now dissipated, they said.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/97-of-greenland-ice-sheet-melting-20120725-22pue.html#ixzz21lRi6qyG
Kimberley Refuge
It’s been described as the land that time forgot and Australia’s last great haven for native species at threat of extinction – and it’s right here in WA. Last year, a generous private benefactor gifted the Australian Wildlife Conservancy almost half of the 300,000ha Charnley River Pastoral Station in the Kimberley to create a kind of modern-day Noah’s Ark. The 140,000ha Artesian Range – a maze of steep rainforest-filled gorges, sandstone cliffs and dramatic escarpments – is not only beautiful, but has proved a safe haven for native species being ravaged by feral cats and fires elsewhere in WA’s north. AWC scientists have found the area teeming with rare animals, including Monjon Rock Wallabies, Northern Quolls, Golden-backed Tree-rat and Golden Bandicoot. North of the Gibb River Road, it is believed to be one a handful, perhaps the only, part of Australia where there have been no mammal extinctions since European settlement.
Across the range, feral cats now prowl the charred edges of devastating wildfires which rage out of control in the Kimberley in the dry season, decimating the landscape and leaving native animals starving, burnt to death or vulnerable to predators. Over the NT border at Kakadu, 75 cent of native mammals have died out in the last 15 years. Unless something is done to reverse the tide in northern WA, its native animals could similarly face extinction in WA within 20 years. AWC chief executive Atticus Fleming said the range was home to more than 30 species found nowhere else on Earth and several were on the brink of extinction. With funding from the State Government, strategic prescribed burns were now being carried out at the sanctuary and across more than 4 million hectares of the Kimberley to protect the area from wildfires.
AWC’s highest priority was culling feral pigs and fencing key points outside the range to stop feral cattle, donkeys and other large herbivores getting in, he said. “It really is a battle to protect our threatened wildlife and AWC field staff are the frontline troops in the campaign,” he said. “We must do everything in our power to protect the Artesian Range.” Channel 7 Sunday Night reporter Alex Cullen, who recently visited the sanctuary to see the scientists’ work first-hand, said the scenery was almost unreal and it was like “going back in time". “Seeing a Monjon Rock Wallaby high up on a cliff moving so effortlessly and quickly was pretty special … it’s heart warming to see these animals close up but its heartbreaking because they’re slowly dying out,” he said. * AGE
Giant Claw Found
Scientists in Central Australia say the discovery of a prehistoric claw at a fossil deposit is baffling. The claw is about seven centimetres long and was found at the Alcoota Scientific Reserve, about 160 kilometres north east of Alice Springs. The reserve is home to the largest and most concentrated fossil deposit of its kind in Australia and scientists say bones at the site could be millions of years old. Dr Adam Yates from the Museum of Central Australia has told the ABC's Country Hour the claw may belong to a reptile. "We don't know what animal this comes from," he said. "Similar claws have been found in the past and they've been suggested to have come from a large goanna. "That's a pretty big goanna. "We're looking at something much bigger than a modern komodo dragon, so a really giant goanna. "But we haven't found any other bones that we can attribute to a goanna of that size, so really we're scratching our heads." The specimen will be brought to the Museum of Central Australia in Alice Springs for analysis. Dr Yates says the team has dug up plenty of other fascinating specimens, including the shin bone of a giant flightless bird called dromornis stirtoni. "It was three metres tall, weighing about half a tonne. "It's quite probably the largest bird that ever lived." Dr Yates believes the site is evidence of a mass extinction event. "We think all these animals died at the same time, around a waterhole during a really nasty drought." *ABC
Monday, July 23, 2012
Wildlife Bytes 24/7/12
Editorial
Closely following on the Queensland Government's statement that they intend to allow logging and grazing in some National Parks, the NSW government is having meetings with rural landholders in NSW to gather political support to appeal the Native Vegetation Act. The latest forum was the 26th in a series of similar sessions across the state. Within minutes of the meeting starting, the 70 landholders present voted unanimously to support a motion calling for the Native Vegetation Act to be repealed. So where does the winding down of environment protection laws stop, we wonder? Further down in this edition of Wildlfie Bytes, there is an article about the National Parks shooting by the Invasive Species Council. They also seem to have lost the plot on feral (or more accurately described as misplaced introduced animals) animal control. Current exotic animal controls are almost useless. Large sums of money are spent on dropping poison, funding helicopter shooting, and trapping, and yet we now have more misplaced introduced animals than ever before. Surely its time to get serious and spend more funds on research to develop humane and effective eradication programs in and around our National Parks, and not just bandaid poison, trapping and shooting programs that can't even hold their own against the tide of high reproduction processes of misplaced exotic introduced animals. *
Climate Change
A couple of weeks ago the north-eastern US was in the grip of a severe heat wave. As I write this, however, it's a fairly cool day in New Jersey, considering that it's late July. Weather is like that; it fluctuates. And this banal observation may be what dooms us to climate catastrophe, in two ways. On one side, the variability of temperatures from day to day and year to year makes it easy to miss, ignore or obscure the longer-term upward trend. On the other, even a fairly modest rise in average temperatures translates into a much higher frequency of extreme events — like the devastating drought now gripping America's heartland — that do vast damage. On the first point: Even with the best will in the world, it would be hard for most people to stay focussed on the big picture in the face of short-run fluctuations. When the mercury is high and the crops are withering, everyone talks about it, and some make the connection to global warming. But let the days grow a bit cooler and the rains fall, and inevitably people's attention turns to other matters. But let's hope that this time is different. For large-scale damage from climate change is no longer a disaster waiting to happen. It's happening now.......
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/loading-the-climate-dice-20120723-22jqp.html#ixzz21TrXgnvM
Fraser Island Burns
Fraser Coast residents should not be concerned about smoke that will begin billowing from Fraser Island tomorrow. The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service conduct planned burns on Fraser Island, Great Sandy National Park from Friday and will continue for the next two weeks as part of the annual hazard reduction/conservation management program for parks and forests. As a result, smoke may be seen in the areas surrounding Orchid Beach and Waddy Point on Fraser Island. The aim of this low-intensity burn is to reduce the volume of forest fuels and to create a mosaic pattern of burnt and unburnt areas within the park. A QPWS spokesperson said the planned burns would help reduce the intensity of wildfires and provide favourable conditions for natural forest regeneration. For more information, please call Dundubara office of QPWS on 4127 9138. Fraser Coast Chronicle
Ed Comment; Perhaps we were a bit premature in hoping QPWS environmental management of Fraser Island would improve under the new LNP Government?
Wildlife Crime
A conservation group ranked Vietnam the worst country for wildlife crime Monday in its first-ever report on how well 23 Asian and African countries protect rhinos, tigers and elephants.
WWF said Vietnam's tiger farms and its citizens' voracious appetite for rhino horn as a supposed cure-all helped put it at the top of the list. Neighboring China, widely viewed as the world's largest market for illegal wildlife products, finished a close second, and Laos was third. The Switzerland-based WWF focused its report on countries where the threatened animals live in the wild or are traded or consumed. Many consumers in Asia demand illegal wildlife products for their purported, if unproven, medicinal properties. The Washington D.C.-based Brookings Institution has said the illegal wildlife trade is worth an estimated $8 billion to $10 billion per year in Southeast Asia alone.
Read more .. http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/vietnam-ranks-worst-wildlife-crime-140336306.html
Crocodiles
The Territory's top croc catcher has blamed saltie trophy killings on southern tourists who head north to go fishing at the end of the Wet. Senior wildlife ranger Tom Nichols said: "We have the same problem at the end of every wet season. "More people go fishing and come up from different places and think they can take a trophy back with them. "It's something that's happening every year." He said it was "disappointing" that people continued to slay the protected reptile. Mildura newspaper editor Alan Erskine, of Victoria, was fishing with friends in the Finnis River, near Dundee Beach, when he spotted a 5m headless croc on the bank last week. * NTNews
Pumice
Thousands of kilometres of ocean may separate Tonga's many volcanoes and Australia's iconic Great Barrier Reef, but researchers have found an interesting connection. The unexpected connection is pumice, a lightweight, frothy rock that forms when molten lava cools rapidly in the air or ocean, explained geologist Dr Scott Bryan from the Queensland University of Technology. The eruption of Tonga's Home Reef volcano in 2006, for example, left billions of pieces of pumice floating on the ocean, initially covering an area of at least 440 square kilometres. Bryan and colleagues traced these pieces of pumice as they were swept by ocean currents toward North-eastern Australia, via Fiji and other Pacific island nations. Their findings appear this week in the journal PLoS One. "The pumice we observed travelled more than 5000 kilometres in eight months, and for the first time we were able to document the more than 80 species of plant and animal life that made the journey with it," he said. The researchers looked in detail at more than 5000 pieces of pumice that washed up along the length of the Great Barrier Reef and the coastline of Australia from Lizard Island in far north Queensland to Ballina, New South Wales "Every piece of that pumice had organisms on it," Bryan said. Those organisms included corals, coralline algae and other species that help build coral reefs. They also included oysters, barnacles, snails and sponges.
Readmore ... http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/07/20/3549847.htm
Whaling
Australia has used the decision by South Korea to abandon plans for scientific whaling to raise pressure on Japan to follow suit. Reports in Seoul today confirmed the South Korean plan had been scrapped. Blame was heaped on the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for pushing ahead with the proposal without first seeking a consensus from other ministries. The Australian Environment Minister, Tony Burke, said Japan should note that there was no loss of faith in South Korea for making the decision. "It is simply greeted with international appreciation and respect,” Mr Burke said. Foreign Minister Bob Carr said South Korea has confirmed its reputation as a country seriously committed to the highest environmental standards. “It's nice to see a friend and partner won't be pursuing whaling," Senator Carr said. The government confirmed that it was fully committed to the case against Japan's Antarctic "scientific whaling" at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The next stage of the case will be an oral hearing likely in the second half of next year.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/whale-watch/australia-focuses-on-japan-after-koreas-whaling-backdown-20120719-22ch0.html#ixzz216kuMbgt
Dingoes
A teenager says a dingo tried to drag her from her parents' campsite near Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. Rebecca Robinson, 13, awoke on Sunday at the Aurora Kakadu Lodge in Jabiru to find the dingo was dragging her sleeping bag. "I could feel someone pulling me. I was not going anywhere but I could feel the sleeping bag getting dragged," she told the NT News. "I woke up and there was a dingo there chewing at my sleeping bag. "It was small, yellowy colour ... I could not see it that much but I saw its face," she said. Her mother Kate Robinson from Victoria told the newspaper her daughter weighed 45 to 50kg. "They (dingoes) are that strong and bold," Ms Robinson said. At an inquest in Darwin earlier this year a coroner formally found that a dingo had killed Azaria Chamberlain, who disappeared from a campsite at Uluru in 1980.
The inquest heard evidence of several dingo attacks that had been recorded over the decades. *YahooNews
Kakadu ranger patrols have shot three wild dogs in a bid to control attacks on tourists after a dingo tried to drag a sleeping teenager. Rebecca Robinson, 13, woke to find the animal ripping at her sleeping bag at Aurora Kakadu Lodge early Sunday morning. Parks Australia said the hunt would continue to ensure campers' safety. West Arnhem Shire Council has also been talking to a "professional shooter" about a cull on the outskirts of Jabiru. Council acting chief Alex Douglas said he expected 10-20 feral dogs to be destroyed. *NT News
Kangaroos
Claims of plague level populations of kangaroos in Queensland are exaggerated, say advocates for the species. The Australian kangaroo meat trade is trying to rebuild following a collapse in trade in 2009, when Russia banned imports due to contamination concerns. Rural lobby group AgForce says a surging population of kangaroos, estimated at 20 million, is also placing immense pressure on pastures. Australian Society for Kangaroos president Nikki Sutterby says there's a lot of propaganda and misinformation about kangaroo populations. "These figures are highly suspicious and are not credible," she said. Ecologist Ray Mjadwesch does not support the contention that kangaroo populations are doubling or tripling each year. "This is biologically impossible for kangaroos, you might get the population increasing three to eight per cent a year in a good year," he said. The most influential people in Sport "To double a population like this data shows would take 10 good years of growth, and populations tripling is absurd." Mr Mjadwesch says more than 200 years of human occupation has hurt kangaroo populations. "An example would be a roo hunter around Parramatta bringing in 300 pounds of roo meat a week in 1794," he said. "Now you see no kangaroos at Parramatta." Rural lobby group AgForce this week met with the state and federal governments to discuss ways to manage kangaroo numbers and reinvigorate the kangaroo meat trade. *The Australian, Courier Mail, SkyNews
State Leader of Katter's Australian Party, Rob Katter, has thrown his support behind the kangaroo meat industry. Mr Katter says that the industry could easily become a large export earner for Australia if state and federal governments support it while kangaroo numbers are in plague proportions. "Surely it makes more commercial sense to throw a bit of government support behind the existing industry rather than set up non-profitable and expensive government eradication programs," Mr Katter said. "The kangaroo industry is struggling due to the loss of the Russian export market and it needs assistance. "We also need to look at new markets, both overseas and in Australia. "Regulatory costs are also of concern as licensing and registration fees hurt producers. "At a time when Australia has plague proportions of kangaroos it seems like an ideal time to reinvigorate the kangaroo meat industry." *MySunshineCoast
Russian bans of Kangaroo Meat to Stay! Negotiations between the Rosselkhoznadzor and the Wildlife Protection Association of Australia, translated from the Russian Government Media release.
The negotiations were held at the initiative of the Australian party that has concerns on sanitary and hygiene state of kangaroo meat placed on the domestic market in Australia and offered for export as well as serious acts of cruelty against kangaroos killed for meat. The Rosselkhoznadzor was given the results of the laboratory monitoring of kangaroo meat in Australian retail networks demonstrating significantly high level (up to 30%) of bacterial contamination of kangaroo meat (predominantly, Coliforms and Salmonella). Therewith, mutton marketed in the same retail networks was safe.
According to the Association, the high bacterial contamination of kangaroo meat is associated with its harvesting conditions. The animals are shot and eviscerated at high ambient air temperatures, up to 350C, and hundred kilometers from the nearest cold storages. The carcasses contaminated with feces during their cutting are chilled and stored at up to 7°C for 14 days after their transportation to the industrial cold storages. According to the Association data, and said conditions providing no guarantees on safety of kangaroo meat put in temporary storage are systemically violated. Usage of mobile abattoirs as practiced for harvesting local animal meat in the South Africa would improve the situation on safety of the harvested kangaroo meat.
The Rosselkhoznadzor’s representative noted that the information provided by the Association on viral disease-associated mass mortality that sporadically occurred in the kangaroo population was of particular concern. The infection vectors are blood-sucking insects and the disease is characterized with severe neurological lesions, blindness and mortality of the considerable part of affected animals. As previously reported, the meeting of Russian and Australian virologists devoted to the cooperation in investigation of orthobynyaviruses endemic in Australia was held at the Rosselkhoznadzor office last week.
In 2008 the Rosselkhoznadzor imposed temporary restrictions on export of products from five Australian establishments out of 10 establishments authorized for export to Russia due to the detection of Coliforms and Salmonella in kangaroo meat during monitoring testings for safety. In 2009 the Rosselkhoznadzor concluded that current kangaroo meat production system in Australia failed to guarantee its safety from pathogenic microorganism contamination after the inspection of Australian kangaroo meat producing establishments and imposed temporary restrictions on import of kangaroo meat to Russia from all Australian establishments from August 1, 2009.
According to the Association estimates, 4 million adult kangaroos and 2 million baby kangaroos escaped from being killed owing to the temporary restrictions imposed by the Rosselkhoznadzor. According to the Association data, baby kangaroos that stay in pouches are beaten to death when their mothers are killed and elder young kangaroos that have been under care of dead mothers run away and then die of exposure or fall the victim of carnivores. * Rosselkhoznadzor / News, Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance
Climate Change
A chunk of ice twice the size of Manhattan has parted from Greenland’s Petermann glacier, a break researchers at the University of Delaware and Canadian Ice Service attributed to warmer ocean temperatures. The separation along Greenland’s north-west coast on Monday is the second major calving for the glacier in three years. In August 2010 it lost an area of abouty 250 square kilometres, compared with the 120square kilometres that split off this week. Andreas Muenchow, an associate professor of physical ocean science and engineering at the University of Delaware, said the glacier’s end point was now at ‘‘a location where it has not been for at least 150 years’’. ‘‘The Greenland ice sheet is changing rapidly before our eyes,’’ Professor Muenchow said. He also said while ‘‘no individual glacier will be the canary in the coalmine’’, recent warming had transformed the overall ice sheet. ‘‘The Greenland ice sheet is being reduced not just in size, but in volume,’’ he said. ‘‘The big and broader climate change story is what’s happening all around Greenland.’’ Ted Scambos, the lead scientist for the National Snow and Ice Data Centre at the University of Colorado, said scientists would monitor whether the glacier’s flow rate would accelerate ‘‘because of its loss of this chunk’’. ‘‘It’s going to take a while to understand how significant a loss this is’’. * Age
Much of central Australia is experiencing an unusually frosty winter, the frostiest in more than a decade in some parts and there's much more to come. Alice Springs has chilled to zero-degrees or below 24 times this winter so far, 12 times more than the winter average, Brett Dutschke of Weatherzone reports. This is the highest number since 2002, when there were 36. Leigh Creek, in South Australia's far north, has dipped to zero or below 10 times so far, the most in at least 30 years. This beats the previous winter record of nine, set in 1997. A similar story can be told for much of the outback due to very dry air and dominant high pressure systems over the region. The highs have been generating mostly clear and calm weather for long periods, allowing it to get cold on many nights and mornings. A high pressure system looks like being a feature for at east another week, enabling the development of further frosts almost every morning. This is making life tough for campers and those getting up for work each morning. With more than 40 nights of winter to go there's a chance that Alice Springs will get close to its record of 44 freezing nights, set in 1976. *Sydney Morning Herald
Sharks
Live sheep exports are being blamed for the recent spate of shark attacks. The Weekly Times reports that The Humane Society International has called on the West Australian Government to look into all aspects of shark behaviour and the possible connection with the export of live sheep from the port of Fremantle. There have been five fatalities to sharks in WA within the past 10 months, the most recent being an attack on a surfer at Wedge Island, 180km north of Perth. A spokesperson for the animal protection society, Alexia Wellbelove, said "thousands of dead sheep ... either whole or minced" were being thrown overboard as ships departed ports for the Middle East "without care or consideration for the consequences".
"It is highly likely that the disposal of animal remains in this way will attract large sharks over a wide distance," Ms Wellbelove said. "This attraction of large sharks may have dreadful consequences. HSI is concerned that one of these consequences may be increased incident of shark attacks." The society says it has written to the West Australian and Federal Government with a documented list of shark attacks and presence of live export vessels, urging them to investigate possible links. "This list shows that on a number of occasions, and particularly over the past 10 months, there appears to be a strong connection between shark attacks and the presence of live export vessels in the area," she said. "Anecdotal reports from fishermen suggest that sharks are able to recognise individual vessels, meaning these export vessels will result in a concentration of the shark population when the vessels are present as the sharks seek an 'easy' meal." *News.com.au
Grazing in National Parks
Cattle are still being commercially grazed on national park land that State Government Minister Steve Dickson said yesterday was under "scientific review" and could be "reopened to grazing". Mr Dickson named four national parks in the Georgetown and Ingham areas which could be reopened to grazing. The Townsville Bulletin has received confirmation that each of these national parks has continued to run cattle on a commercial basis since their acquisition by the government started in 2010. It is understood that the Brock family, which owned Littleton Station in the Georgetown area of the eastern Gulf Country, still lives on the station and runs cattle there despite it being in the process of being acquired by the government. Two other national parks in the Georgetown area, Rungalla and Gilbert River covering 121,000ha, were bought by the government in July last year for $3.2 million. The stations were bought from Charters Towers cattleman and aviation industry identity Wayne Pritchard.
The former cattle station of Wairuna located in the mountainous headwaters of the Burdekin River inland from Ingham was sold to the government by Richmond cattlemen Robert Flute for $7.8 million in 2010. Mr Flute said that he was still being allowed to run cattle on Wairuna because of the extensive damage inflicted on the property by Cyclone Yasi in February 2011. "All the fences are down including the boundary fence between Wairuna and Princess Hills (part of the Girringun National Park) and there's timber down everywhere," he said. Mr Flute said 77,690ha Wairuna could run 10,000 head of cattle. Mr Flute said he would be interested in extending the cattle lease over Wairuna if the government went ahead with its plan to open parks up to cattle. Mr Pritchard, who is still running 1000 head of cattle on Rungalla and Gilbert River, said his lease would come to an end next year, but added he would be interested in an extension if the government's report came down in favour of cattle in parks.
Both Mr Pritchard and Mr Flute said the State Government should consider opening more of its remote and rarely visited parks to cattle. "It would be a good idea to allow cattle to run in national parks in remote areas," Mr Flute said. "Too often you see these parks locked up and they become overrun with feral plants and animals." He said the government did not have the staff to manage big parks in remote areas. *Townsville Buletin
Hunting in National Parks
Animal welfare groups say hunters are behind a mysterious campaign to stop the poisoning of feral deer and goats in national parks - because it will only reduce the number of animals they can shoot. Groups including the RSPCA believe interests connected to the state-funded Game Council issued a pamphlet calling the government's ''horror trial'' of cyanide poisoning a ''welfare disaster'' for deer. But, far from caring about the feral animals, the hunters want to preserve as many live targets as possible now that national parks will be opened to shooters, the groups claim. The Game Council has denied any knowledge of the pamphlet's origins. No group has put its name to the flyer, which shows a poisoned deer dead on the ground. But Animals Australia said it was ''reprehensible'' that a quote, taken out of context from a section of its website unrelated to deer, had been used in the leaflet.
In a letter to the Environment Minister, Robyn Parker, on July 2, Animals Australia's executive director, Glenys Oogjes, said: ''Our own views could not be further apart from those of this group of pro-hunting organisations. This attempt at alignment with Animals Australia is merely a reprehensible attempt to suggest their own recreation hunting methods are humane. Please disregard this reference to Animals Australia.'' Seventy-nine national parks have been opened to hunters in a deal between the O'Farrell government and the balance-of-power Shooters and Fishers Party. But the pamphlet urges people to write to Ms Parker to stop the cyanide trial, begun by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service after extensive scientific research into humane and cost-effective control of feral animals. The research is endorsed by the Animal Ethics Committee whose members include the RSPCA.
The pamphlet states: ''NPWS cruelty will destroy [deer] mothers leaving many grieving offspring behind to a slow and painful death. The welfare of deer do not matter to the political interests of the extreme Green lobby. NPWS is responsible for the welfare of these sentient animals which will suffer horrendous deaths.'' An RSPCA spokesman said: ''The pamphlet is a deliberate attempt to bolster support for recreational hunting of deer. Hunters are opposed to all other deer management methods as they regard deer as a game species. Unfortunately this ignores the environmental impacts of deer and the need to develop humane target-specific methods to control deer.''
A Game Council spokesman said: "Game Council has no knowledge of, or connection with, this flyer. The council provides game hunting licences which enables conservation hunting to take place in removing game and feral animals from public land. It is not Game Council's role to comment on the effectiveness of other control methods for game and feral animals." The Greens environment spokeswoman, Cate Faerhmann, said it was clear Ms Parker and the Premier, Barry O'Farrell, were under pressure from hunters for more concessions. ''If the Game Council and its political arm, the Shooters Party, get their way, deer populations will spread, putting delicate ecosystems at further risk … Animal welfare groups know that the trial is an attempt to find a more humane solution to pest deer
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/conservation/save-the-deer--for-hunters-20120721-22gy4.html#ixzz21ROADd9u
Let there be no doubt. The plan to allow 15,000 amateur hunters into NSW national parks is not motivated by good environmental policy.At a superficial level, an offer to allow access to our national parks for volunteer hunters keen to shoot deer, goats, pigs and other feral animals sounds irresistible. Yet the evidence shows that a program of hunters controlled by the Game Council will provide no environmental benefit, likely lead to environmental harm, and place at serious risk the public's enjoyment and safety. The Game Council was set up in 2002 after an earlier political deal between the Labor Government and the Shooters Party. It is a highly unusual arrangement for a statutory authority. The board must have a majority of hunters, ensuring that decisions never get made against hunters' interests. Government funds this sporting body to licence recreational hunters on public and private land. At the last minute, the enabling legislation was renamed the Game and Feral Animal Control Act, the last three words tacked on to deceptively dress up the arrangement as a public good. National parks at that time were spared.
Despite their success, the Shooters Party did not let up on their campaign to get access to national parks. Once the Game Council was set up and it registered hunters to roam public lands with rifles, cross-bows, antique muzzle-loaders, and hunting dogs, it tallied seemingly impressive body counts of feral animals killed: 27,099 rabbits, 5,100 foxes, 9,341 goats, and 7,988 pigs were shot on state forests in a five-year period. But feral animal control is not about carcass numbers. It is about targeted programs that reduce local feral populations by more than 50-90 per cent in a short period, stopping ferals spreading and using the most effective methods. That is why park managers usually don't shoot foxes; poisoning and trapping are more effective. It is why there is concerted effort around habitats of animals like the endangered brush-tailed rock wallaby to remove goats.
It is why shooting 27,000 rabbits over five years will have little effect on a population measured in millions. If the Game Council's 10-year 'control program' was reviewed by biologists, it would be revealed as a sham. Deer hunting is a good example of how hunters assist the spread of a serious pest. Hunters are widely known to move deer (and pigs) to new pest-free areas for future hunting, and a few have been caught in the act. They mostly target the males with antlers, leaving females to breed. Hunters are not effective or systematic at controlling deer, focusing on the most accessible areas where hunting is easy, leaving deer in more remote or rugged areas to breed up and spread. The danger is that by allowing hunters into national parks pretending that this is pest control draws resources away from legitimate feral animal control programs. Wary animals such as deer, goats and pigs become harder to approach in ranger run programs.
In Australia and New Zealand, there are numerous examples of hunters opposing effective cull programs that threaten their feral 'game'. In NSW, the Game Council actively lobbied against listing deer as a 'key threatening process' under environmental laws. If a landholder wants a recreational shooter or contractor to control deer on their land, a Game Council licence would still be needed and they are not permitted to use the most effective method - shooting at night with spotlights. We are at a turning point in the control of feral animals in NSW. We can either pretend to do something by handing the job to hunters who will help feral animals expand, losing at the same time that feeling of safety and peacefulness we cherish in a national park. Or we can focus on science-based programs and use the most effective and humane methods of stopping the spread of feral animals across all lands - which may sometimes include the managed use of volunteer shooters.
Any decision to permit people with loaded guns into our national parks must require compelling benefits that outweigh the risks. The Invasive Species Council wants to see fewer feral animals in our parks and is not philosophically opposed to shooting to achieve this. The serious problem is that the deal between the Shooters Party and the O'Farrell Government involving the Game Council offers no benefits and excessive risks. O'Farrell's decision to support the Shooters Party's enabling Bill in Parliament in June locks in this retrograde direction. Feral animals are one of the greatest threats to our wildlife and our national parks. Putting recreational hunters in charge will only make it worse.
Andrew Cox is president of the Invasive Species Council, a national community organisation that seeks better laws and policies to protect the Australian environment from weeds, feral animals and exotic pathogens. Andrew was Executive Officer of the National Parks Association of NSW when the Game Council was established in 2002. *ABC, The Drum
Closely following on the Queensland Government's statement that they intend to allow logging and grazing in some National Parks, the NSW government is having meetings with rural landholders in NSW to gather political support to appeal the Native Vegetation Act. The latest forum was the 26th in a series of similar sessions across the state. Within minutes of the meeting starting, the 70 landholders present voted unanimously to support a motion calling for the Native Vegetation Act to be repealed. So where does the winding down of environment protection laws stop, we wonder? Further down in this edition of Wildlfie Bytes, there is an article about the National Parks shooting by the Invasive Species Council. They also seem to have lost the plot on feral (or more accurately described as misplaced introduced animals) animal control. Current exotic animal controls are almost useless. Large sums of money are spent on dropping poison, funding helicopter shooting, and trapping, and yet we now have more misplaced introduced animals than ever before. Surely its time to get serious and spend more funds on research to develop humane and effective eradication programs in and around our National Parks, and not just bandaid poison, trapping and shooting programs that can't even hold their own against the tide of high reproduction processes of misplaced exotic introduced animals. *
Climate Change
A couple of weeks ago the north-eastern US was in the grip of a severe heat wave. As I write this, however, it's a fairly cool day in New Jersey, considering that it's late July. Weather is like that; it fluctuates. And this banal observation may be what dooms us to climate catastrophe, in two ways. On one side, the variability of temperatures from day to day and year to year makes it easy to miss, ignore or obscure the longer-term upward trend. On the other, even a fairly modest rise in average temperatures translates into a much higher frequency of extreme events — like the devastating drought now gripping America's heartland — that do vast damage. On the first point: Even with the best will in the world, it would be hard for most people to stay focussed on the big picture in the face of short-run fluctuations. When the mercury is high and the crops are withering, everyone talks about it, and some make the connection to global warming. But let the days grow a bit cooler and the rains fall, and inevitably people's attention turns to other matters. But let's hope that this time is different. For large-scale damage from climate change is no longer a disaster waiting to happen. It's happening now.......
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/loading-the-climate-dice-20120723-22jqp.html#ixzz21TrXgnvM
Fraser Island Burns
Fraser Coast residents should not be concerned about smoke that will begin billowing from Fraser Island tomorrow. The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service conduct planned burns on Fraser Island, Great Sandy National Park from Friday and will continue for the next two weeks as part of the annual hazard reduction/conservation management program for parks and forests. As a result, smoke may be seen in the areas surrounding Orchid Beach and Waddy Point on Fraser Island. The aim of this low-intensity burn is to reduce the volume of forest fuels and to create a mosaic pattern of burnt and unburnt areas within the park. A QPWS spokesperson said the planned burns would help reduce the intensity of wildfires and provide favourable conditions for natural forest regeneration. For more information, please call Dundubara office of QPWS on 4127 9138. Fraser Coast Chronicle
Ed Comment; Perhaps we were a bit premature in hoping QPWS environmental management of Fraser Island would improve under the new LNP Government?
Wildlife Crime
A conservation group ranked Vietnam the worst country for wildlife crime Monday in its first-ever report on how well 23 Asian and African countries protect rhinos, tigers and elephants.
WWF said Vietnam's tiger farms and its citizens' voracious appetite for rhino horn as a supposed cure-all helped put it at the top of the list. Neighboring China, widely viewed as the world's largest market for illegal wildlife products, finished a close second, and Laos was third. The Switzerland-based WWF focused its report on countries where the threatened animals live in the wild or are traded or consumed. Many consumers in Asia demand illegal wildlife products for their purported, if unproven, medicinal properties. The Washington D.C.-based Brookings Institution has said the illegal wildlife trade is worth an estimated $8 billion to $10 billion per year in Southeast Asia alone.
Read more .. http://au.finance.yahoo.com/news/vietnam-ranks-worst-wildlife-crime-140336306.html
Crocodiles
The Territory's top croc catcher has blamed saltie trophy killings on southern tourists who head north to go fishing at the end of the Wet. Senior wildlife ranger Tom Nichols said: "We have the same problem at the end of every wet season. "More people go fishing and come up from different places and think they can take a trophy back with them. "It's something that's happening every year." He said it was "disappointing" that people continued to slay the protected reptile. Mildura newspaper editor Alan Erskine, of Victoria, was fishing with friends in the Finnis River, near Dundee Beach, when he spotted a 5m headless croc on the bank last week. * NTNews
Pumice
Thousands of kilometres of ocean may separate Tonga's many volcanoes and Australia's iconic Great Barrier Reef, but researchers have found an interesting connection. The unexpected connection is pumice, a lightweight, frothy rock that forms when molten lava cools rapidly in the air or ocean, explained geologist Dr Scott Bryan from the Queensland University of Technology. The eruption of Tonga's Home Reef volcano in 2006, for example, left billions of pieces of pumice floating on the ocean, initially covering an area of at least 440 square kilometres. Bryan and colleagues traced these pieces of pumice as they were swept by ocean currents toward North-eastern Australia, via Fiji and other Pacific island nations. Their findings appear this week in the journal PLoS One. "The pumice we observed travelled more than 5000 kilometres in eight months, and for the first time we were able to document the more than 80 species of plant and animal life that made the journey with it," he said. The researchers looked in detail at more than 5000 pieces of pumice that washed up along the length of the Great Barrier Reef and the coastline of Australia from Lizard Island in far north Queensland to Ballina, New South Wales "Every piece of that pumice had organisms on it," Bryan said. Those organisms included corals, coralline algae and other species that help build coral reefs. They also included oysters, barnacles, snails and sponges.
Readmore ... http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2012/07/20/3549847.htm
Whaling
Australia has used the decision by South Korea to abandon plans for scientific whaling to raise pressure on Japan to follow suit. Reports in Seoul today confirmed the South Korean plan had been scrapped. Blame was heaped on the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries for pushing ahead with the proposal without first seeking a consensus from other ministries. The Australian Environment Minister, Tony Burke, said Japan should note that there was no loss of faith in South Korea for making the decision. "It is simply greeted with international appreciation and respect,” Mr Burke said. Foreign Minister Bob Carr said South Korea has confirmed its reputation as a country seriously committed to the highest environmental standards. “It's nice to see a friend and partner won't be pursuing whaling," Senator Carr said. The government confirmed that it was fully committed to the case against Japan's Antarctic "scientific whaling" at the International Court of Justice in The Hague. The next stage of the case will be an oral hearing likely in the second half of next year.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/whale-watch/australia-focuses-on-japan-after-koreas-whaling-backdown-20120719-22ch0.html#ixzz216kuMbgt
Dingoes
A teenager says a dingo tried to drag her from her parents' campsite near Kakadu National Park in the Northern Territory. Rebecca Robinson, 13, awoke on Sunday at the Aurora Kakadu Lodge in Jabiru to find the dingo was dragging her sleeping bag. "I could feel someone pulling me. I was not going anywhere but I could feel the sleeping bag getting dragged," she told the NT News. "I woke up and there was a dingo there chewing at my sleeping bag. "It was small, yellowy colour ... I could not see it that much but I saw its face," she said. Her mother Kate Robinson from Victoria told the newspaper her daughter weighed 45 to 50kg. "They (dingoes) are that strong and bold," Ms Robinson said. At an inquest in Darwin earlier this year a coroner formally found that a dingo had killed Azaria Chamberlain, who disappeared from a campsite at Uluru in 1980.
The inquest heard evidence of several dingo attacks that had been recorded over the decades. *YahooNews
Kakadu ranger patrols have shot three wild dogs in a bid to control attacks on tourists after a dingo tried to drag a sleeping teenager. Rebecca Robinson, 13, woke to find the animal ripping at her sleeping bag at Aurora Kakadu Lodge early Sunday morning. Parks Australia said the hunt would continue to ensure campers' safety. West Arnhem Shire Council has also been talking to a "professional shooter" about a cull on the outskirts of Jabiru. Council acting chief Alex Douglas said he expected 10-20 feral dogs to be destroyed. *NT News
Kangaroos
Claims of plague level populations of kangaroos in Queensland are exaggerated, say advocates for the species. The Australian kangaroo meat trade is trying to rebuild following a collapse in trade in 2009, when Russia banned imports due to contamination concerns. Rural lobby group AgForce says a surging population of kangaroos, estimated at 20 million, is also placing immense pressure on pastures. Australian Society for Kangaroos president Nikki Sutterby says there's a lot of propaganda and misinformation about kangaroo populations. "These figures are highly suspicious and are not credible," she said. Ecologist Ray Mjadwesch does not support the contention that kangaroo populations are doubling or tripling each year. "This is biologically impossible for kangaroos, you might get the population increasing three to eight per cent a year in a good year," he said. The most influential people in Sport "To double a population like this data shows would take 10 good years of growth, and populations tripling is absurd." Mr Mjadwesch says more than 200 years of human occupation has hurt kangaroo populations. "An example would be a roo hunter around Parramatta bringing in 300 pounds of roo meat a week in 1794," he said. "Now you see no kangaroos at Parramatta." Rural lobby group AgForce this week met with the state and federal governments to discuss ways to manage kangaroo numbers and reinvigorate the kangaroo meat trade. *The Australian, Courier Mail, SkyNews
State Leader of Katter's Australian Party, Rob Katter, has thrown his support behind the kangaroo meat industry. Mr Katter says that the industry could easily become a large export earner for Australia if state and federal governments support it while kangaroo numbers are in plague proportions. "Surely it makes more commercial sense to throw a bit of government support behind the existing industry rather than set up non-profitable and expensive government eradication programs," Mr Katter said. "The kangaroo industry is struggling due to the loss of the Russian export market and it needs assistance. "We also need to look at new markets, both overseas and in Australia. "Regulatory costs are also of concern as licensing and registration fees hurt producers. "At a time when Australia has plague proportions of kangaroos it seems like an ideal time to reinvigorate the kangaroo meat industry." *MySunshineCoast
Russian bans of Kangaroo Meat to Stay! Negotiations between the Rosselkhoznadzor and the Wildlife Protection Association of Australia, translated from the Russian Government Media release.
The negotiations were held at the initiative of the Australian party that has concerns on sanitary and hygiene state of kangaroo meat placed on the domestic market in Australia and offered for export as well as serious acts of cruelty against kangaroos killed for meat. The Rosselkhoznadzor was given the results of the laboratory monitoring of kangaroo meat in Australian retail networks demonstrating significantly high level (up to 30%) of bacterial contamination of kangaroo meat (predominantly, Coliforms and Salmonella). Therewith, mutton marketed in the same retail networks was safe.
According to the Association, the high bacterial contamination of kangaroo meat is associated with its harvesting conditions. The animals are shot and eviscerated at high ambient air temperatures, up to 350C, and hundred kilometers from the nearest cold storages. The carcasses contaminated with feces during their cutting are chilled and stored at up to 7°C for 14 days after their transportation to the industrial cold storages. According to the Association data, and said conditions providing no guarantees on safety of kangaroo meat put in temporary storage are systemically violated. Usage of mobile abattoirs as practiced for harvesting local animal meat in the South Africa would improve the situation on safety of the harvested kangaroo meat.
The Rosselkhoznadzor’s representative noted that the information provided by the Association on viral disease-associated mass mortality that sporadically occurred in the kangaroo population was of particular concern. The infection vectors are blood-sucking insects and the disease is characterized with severe neurological lesions, blindness and mortality of the considerable part of affected animals. As previously reported, the meeting of Russian and Australian virologists devoted to the cooperation in investigation of orthobynyaviruses endemic in Australia was held at the Rosselkhoznadzor office last week.
In 2008 the Rosselkhoznadzor imposed temporary restrictions on export of products from five Australian establishments out of 10 establishments authorized for export to Russia due to the detection of Coliforms and Salmonella in kangaroo meat during monitoring testings for safety. In 2009 the Rosselkhoznadzor concluded that current kangaroo meat production system in Australia failed to guarantee its safety from pathogenic microorganism contamination after the inspection of Australian kangaroo meat producing establishments and imposed temporary restrictions on import of kangaroo meat to Russia from all Australian establishments from August 1, 2009.
According to the Association estimates, 4 million adult kangaroos and 2 million baby kangaroos escaped from being killed owing to the temporary restrictions imposed by the Rosselkhoznadzor. According to the Association data, baby kangaroos that stay in pouches are beaten to death when their mothers are killed and elder young kangaroos that have been under care of dead mothers run away and then die of exposure or fall the victim of carnivores. * Rosselkhoznadzor / News, Russian Federal Service for Veterinary and Phytosanitary Surveillance
Climate Change
A chunk of ice twice the size of Manhattan has parted from Greenland’s Petermann glacier, a break researchers at the University of Delaware and Canadian Ice Service attributed to warmer ocean temperatures. The separation along Greenland’s north-west coast on Monday is the second major calving for the glacier in three years. In August 2010 it lost an area of abouty 250 square kilometres, compared with the 120square kilometres that split off this week. Andreas Muenchow, an associate professor of physical ocean science and engineering at the University of Delaware, said the glacier’s end point was now at ‘‘a location where it has not been for at least 150 years’’. ‘‘The Greenland ice sheet is changing rapidly before our eyes,’’ Professor Muenchow said. He also said while ‘‘no individual glacier will be the canary in the coalmine’’, recent warming had transformed the overall ice sheet. ‘‘The Greenland ice sheet is being reduced not just in size, but in volume,’’ he said. ‘‘The big and broader climate change story is what’s happening all around Greenland.’’ Ted Scambos, the lead scientist for the National Snow and Ice Data Centre at the University of Colorado, said scientists would monitor whether the glacier’s flow rate would accelerate ‘‘because of its loss of this chunk’’. ‘‘It’s going to take a while to understand how significant a loss this is’’. * Age
Much of central Australia is experiencing an unusually frosty winter, the frostiest in more than a decade in some parts and there's much more to come. Alice Springs has chilled to zero-degrees or below 24 times this winter so far, 12 times more than the winter average, Brett Dutschke of Weatherzone reports. This is the highest number since 2002, when there were 36. Leigh Creek, in South Australia's far north, has dipped to zero or below 10 times so far, the most in at least 30 years. This beats the previous winter record of nine, set in 1997. A similar story can be told for much of the outback due to very dry air and dominant high pressure systems over the region. The highs have been generating mostly clear and calm weather for long periods, allowing it to get cold on many nights and mornings. A high pressure system looks like being a feature for at east another week, enabling the development of further frosts almost every morning. This is making life tough for campers and those getting up for work each morning. With more than 40 nights of winter to go there's a chance that Alice Springs will get close to its record of 44 freezing nights, set in 1976. *Sydney Morning Herald
Sharks
Live sheep exports are being blamed for the recent spate of shark attacks. The Weekly Times reports that The Humane Society International has called on the West Australian Government to look into all aspects of shark behaviour and the possible connection with the export of live sheep from the port of Fremantle. There have been five fatalities to sharks in WA within the past 10 months, the most recent being an attack on a surfer at Wedge Island, 180km north of Perth. A spokesperson for the animal protection society, Alexia Wellbelove, said "thousands of dead sheep ... either whole or minced" were being thrown overboard as ships departed ports for the Middle East "without care or consideration for the consequences".
"It is highly likely that the disposal of animal remains in this way will attract large sharks over a wide distance," Ms Wellbelove said. "This attraction of large sharks may have dreadful consequences. HSI is concerned that one of these consequences may be increased incident of shark attacks." The society says it has written to the West Australian and Federal Government with a documented list of shark attacks and presence of live export vessels, urging them to investigate possible links. "This list shows that on a number of occasions, and particularly over the past 10 months, there appears to be a strong connection between shark attacks and the presence of live export vessels in the area," she said. "Anecdotal reports from fishermen suggest that sharks are able to recognise individual vessels, meaning these export vessels will result in a concentration of the shark population when the vessels are present as the sharks seek an 'easy' meal." *News.com.au
Grazing in National Parks
Cattle are still being commercially grazed on national park land that State Government Minister Steve Dickson said yesterday was under "scientific review" and could be "reopened to grazing". Mr Dickson named four national parks in the Georgetown and Ingham areas which could be reopened to grazing. The Townsville Bulletin has received confirmation that each of these national parks has continued to run cattle on a commercial basis since their acquisition by the government started in 2010. It is understood that the Brock family, which owned Littleton Station in the Georgetown area of the eastern Gulf Country, still lives on the station and runs cattle there despite it being in the process of being acquired by the government. Two other national parks in the Georgetown area, Rungalla and Gilbert River covering 121,000ha, were bought by the government in July last year for $3.2 million. The stations were bought from Charters Towers cattleman and aviation industry identity Wayne Pritchard.
The former cattle station of Wairuna located in the mountainous headwaters of the Burdekin River inland from Ingham was sold to the government by Richmond cattlemen Robert Flute for $7.8 million in 2010. Mr Flute said that he was still being allowed to run cattle on Wairuna because of the extensive damage inflicted on the property by Cyclone Yasi in February 2011. "All the fences are down including the boundary fence between Wairuna and Princess Hills (part of the Girringun National Park) and there's timber down everywhere," he said. Mr Flute said 77,690ha Wairuna could run 10,000 head of cattle. Mr Flute said he would be interested in extending the cattle lease over Wairuna if the government went ahead with its plan to open parks up to cattle. Mr Pritchard, who is still running 1000 head of cattle on Rungalla and Gilbert River, said his lease would come to an end next year, but added he would be interested in an extension if the government's report came down in favour of cattle in parks.
Both Mr Pritchard and Mr Flute said the State Government should consider opening more of its remote and rarely visited parks to cattle. "It would be a good idea to allow cattle to run in national parks in remote areas," Mr Flute said. "Too often you see these parks locked up and they become overrun with feral plants and animals." He said the government did not have the staff to manage big parks in remote areas. *Townsville Buletin
Hunting in National Parks
Animal welfare groups say hunters are behind a mysterious campaign to stop the poisoning of feral deer and goats in national parks - because it will only reduce the number of animals they can shoot. Groups including the RSPCA believe interests connected to the state-funded Game Council issued a pamphlet calling the government's ''horror trial'' of cyanide poisoning a ''welfare disaster'' for deer. But, far from caring about the feral animals, the hunters want to preserve as many live targets as possible now that national parks will be opened to shooters, the groups claim. The Game Council has denied any knowledge of the pamphlet's origins. No group has put its name to the flyer, which shows a poisoned deer dead on the ground. But Animals Australia said it was ''reprehensible'' that a quote, taken out of context from a section of its website unrelated to deer, had been used in the leaflet.
In a letter to the Environment Minister, Robyn Parker, on July 2, Animals Australia's executive director, Glenys Oogjes, said: ''Our own views could not be further apart from those of this group of pro-hunting organisations. This attempt at alignment with Animals Australia is merely a reprehensible attempt to suggest their own recreation hunting methods are humane. Please disregard this reference to Animals Australia.'' Seventy-nine national parks have been opened to hunters in a deal between the O'Farrell government and the balance-of-power Shooters and Fishers Party. But the pamphlet urges people to write to Ms Parker to stop the cyanide trial, begun by the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service after extensive scientific research into humane and cost-effective control of feral animals. The research is endorsed by the Animal Ethics Committee whose members include the RSPCA.
The pamphlet states: ''NPWS cruelty will destroy [deer] mothers leaving many grieving offspring behind to a slow and painful death. The welfare of deer do not matter to the political interests of the extreme Green lobby. NPWS is responsible for the welfare of these sentient animals which will suffer horrendous deaths.'' An RSPCA spokesman said: ''The pamphlet is a deliberate attempt to bolster support for recreational hunting of deer. Hunters are opposed to all other deer management methods as they regard deer as a game species. Unfortunately this ignores the environmental impacts of deer and the need to develop humane target-specific methods to control deer.''
A Game Council spokesman said: "Game Council has no knowledge of, or connection with, this flyer. The council provides game hunting licences which enables conservation hunting to take place in removing game and feral animals from public land. It is not Game Council's role to comment on the effectiveness of other control methods for game and feral animals." The Greens environment spokeswoman, Cate Faerhmann, said it was clear Ms Parker and the Premier, Barry O'Farrell, were under pressure from hunters for more concessions. ''If the Game Council and its political arm, the Shooters Party, get their way, deer populations will spread, putting delicate ecosystems at further risk … Animal welfare groups know that the trial is an attempt to find a more humane solution to pest deer
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/conservation/save-the-deer--for-hunters-20120721-22gy4.html#ixzz21ROADd9u
Let there be no doubt. The plan to allow 15,000 amateur hunters into NSW national parks is not motivated by good environmental policy.At a superficial level, an offer to allow access to our national parks for volunteer hunters keen to shoot deer, goats, pigs and other feral animals sounds irresistible. Yet the evidence shows that a program of hunters controlled by the Game Council will provide no environmental benefit, likely lead to environmental harm, and place at serious risk the public's enjoyment and safety. The Game Council was set up in 2002 after an earlier political deal between the Labor Government and the Shooters Party. It is a highly unusual arrangement for a statutory authority. The board must have a majority of hunters, ensuring that decisions never get made against hunters' interests. Government funds this sporting body to licence recreational hunters on public and private land. At the last minute, the enabling legislation was renamed the Game and Feral Animal Control Act, the last three words tacked on to deceptively dress up the arrangement as a public good. National parks at that time were spared.
Despite their success, the Shooters Party did not let up on their campaign to get access to national parks. Once the Game Council was set up and it registered hunters to roam public lands with rifles, cross-bows, antique muzzle-loaders, and hunting dogs, it tallied seemingly impressive body counts of feral animals killed: 27,099 rabbits, 5,100 foxes, 9,341 goats, and 7,988 pigs were shot on state forests in a five-year period. But feral animal control is not about carcass numbers. It is about targeted programs that reduce local feral populations by more than 50-90 per cent in a short period, stopping ferals spreading and using the most effective methods. That is why park managers usually don't shoot foxes; poisoning and trapping are more effective. It is why there is concerted effort around habitats of animals like the endangered brush-tailed rock wallaby to remove goats.
It is why shooting 27,000 rabbits over five years will have little effect on a population measured in millions. If the Game Council's 10-year 'control program' was reviewed by biologists, it would be revealed as a sham. Deer hunting is a good example of how hunters assist the spread of a serious pest. Hunters are widely known to move deer (and pigs) to new pest-free areas for future hunting, and a few have been caught in the act. They mostly target the males with antlers, leaving females to breed. Hunters are not effective or systematic at controlling deer, focusing on the most accessible areas where hunting is easy, leaving deer in more remote or rugged areas to breed up and spread. The danger is that by allowing hunters into national parks pretending that this is pest control draws resources away from legitimate feral animal control programs. Wary animals such as deer, goats and pigs become harder to approach in ranger run programs.
In Australia and New Zealand, there are numerous examples of hunters opposing effective cull programs that threaten their feral 'game'. In NSW, the Game Council actively lobbied against listing deer as a 'key threatening process' under environmental laws. If a landholder wants a recreational shooter or contractor to control deer on their land, a Game Council licence would still be needed and they are not permitted to use the most effective method - shooting at night with spotlights. We are at a turning point in the control of feral animals in NSW. We can either pretend to do something by handing the job to hunters who will help feral animals expand, losing at the same time that feeling of safety and peacefulness we cherish in a national park. Or we can focus on science-based programs and use the most effective and humane methods of stopping the spread of feral animals across all lands - which may sometimes include the managed use of volunteer shooters.
Any decision to permit people with loaded guns into our national parks must require compelling benefits that outweigh the risks. The Invasive Species Council wants to see fewer feral animals in our parks and is not philosophically opposed to shooting to achieve this. The serious problem is that the deal between the Shooters Party and the O'Farrell Government involving the Game Council offers no benefits and excessive risks. O'Farrell's decision to support the Shooters Party's enabling Bill in Parliament in June locks in this retrograde direction. Feral animals are one of the greatest threats to our wildlife and our national parks. Putting recreational hunters in charge will only make it worse.
Andrew Cox is president of the Invasive Species Council, a national community organisation that seeks better laws and policies to protect the Australian environment from weeds, feral animals and exotic pathogens. Andrew was Executive Officer of the National Parks Association of NSW when the Game Council was established in 2002. *ABC, The Drum
Tuesday, July 17, 2012
Wildlife Bytes 18/7/12
Editorial
More calls for killing wildlife have erupted after anther surfer was killed by Great White Shark in Western Australia. Strident calls to kill crocodiles, bats, possums, kangaroos, magpies and other birds, ducks, sharks and other wildlife are coming from those who do not want to live with wildlife. Where it will stop we dont know, but allowing shooters into National Parks in NSW has triggered an avalanche of calls across Australia to kill anything that some people dont like. Fortunately the new LNP government in Queensland has resisted some of these outbursts, and has refused to contemplate croc trophy hunting, although shooting of flying foxes still remains on the agenda. However, they do have other pressing issues to deal with, like a revolting public service, and some bad media about employing relatives in Ministers offices. Hopefully these issues may take some pressure off our wildlife. *
Seal Kill Starts
Namibia's annual seal hunt, which will see some 86,000 Cape fur seals slaughtered by end November, starts on Sunday amid outcry from conservation groups that brand it a massacre for trade purposes. This year targets are to club 80,000 pups and shoot 6,000 bulls to death. Namibian authorities maintain that what they call seal harvesting is meant to control the burgeoning population which threatens the fishing industry. "Namibia's seal population has increased to the point where they exceeded by far the carrying capacity of the environment ... therefore it is humane to curb the unrestrained seal population to a level where they can be sustained by the environment," the government said in a statement. But activists slam these reasons as hypocritical, saying the hunts are carried out for commercial gain. "There is no justification for the killing. This is purely a political and economic issue, with very little concern for animal welfare," conservation charity International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) director for Southern Africa Jason Bell told AFP. * iAfrica.com Read more .. http://news.iafrica.com/sa/805843.html
Something Scary!
In the last 12 months, millions of monster mosquitoes - genetically modified in laboratories to 'test' their effectiveness at reducing the risk of mosquito-borne illnesses - have been released into the wild without either the knowledge or permission of local inhabitants. We have no idea how safe these sorts of experiments are yet 'scientists' in their incredibly hubris, continue to take these risks on our behalf. Townsville, QLD, Florida and Malaysia are just a few of the locations for this uncontrolled experiment. This article makes a good case for the need to regulate this sort of testing - NOW!
http://theconversation.edu.au/time-to-regulate-the-release-of-gm-mosquitoes-and-heres-how5062?utm_source=Newsletter+13+July+2012&utm_campaign=June+6th+Newsletter&utm_medium=email
National Parks
The NSW government has put a scythe through its environment office, cutting 350 jobs and slicing many programs in national parks, animal management and climate change research.
The public service cuts, which amount to nearly 12 per cent of all workers in the Office of Environment and Heritage, mean some national parks will go unstaffed, and visitors will be forced to utilise a ''self service'' culture in some regions. The staff cuts, which will result from a combination of redundancy packages and ''natural attrition'', will save $101 million by 2016, said the Environ-ment Minister, Robyn Parker. Internal documents circulated among employees said the agency had committed to cutting costs in kangaroo harvesting programs, reducing wilderness and wild river assessments, deregulating wildlife licensing where appropriate, scaling back soil and salinity research and ''reducing effort in our biodiversity programs''. Many climate change programs had been stopped or scaled back, the government said. They include cuts in soil carbon sequestration programs, energy efficiency programs and greenhouse gas cuts policy development. 'The transport emissions reduction policy and programs including policy work on electric vehicles, national transport sector emissions reduction and heavy vehicle emissions reduction have ceased,'' the government said in a statement. The cuts were partly driven by the national carbon price, ''to avoid duplication with the federal government in a post-carbon tax world'', Ms Parker said. However, the state government also hopes to see the federal carbon price abolished, as the federal Coalition has pledged to do if it wins next year's election.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/parks-will-go-unstaffed-as-environment-jobs-slashed-20120717-228cn.html#ixzz20uvQGM1K
Ed Comment; We have to wonder who will supervise and control the hunters who are now permitted to hunt in NSW National Parks. *
Turtles
Thousands of leatherback turtle eggs and hatchlings have been crushed by heavy machinery on a beach in Trinidad. Conservationists said the beach was widely regarded as the world's most dense nesting area for the biggest species of living sea turtles, which is endangered. Government work crews with bulldozers were redirecting the Grand Riviere, a shifting river that was threatening a hotel. The hotel was full of tourists who had come to Trinidad to see the tiny leatherback hatchlings head for the surf. Instead, they saw injured hatchlings dying Conservationists said the crews dug up an unnecessarily large swath of the beach on Trinidad's northern shore. Sherwin Reyz, a member of the Grand Riviere Environmental Organisation, estimated that as many as 20,000 eggs were crushed or consumed by vultures and stray dogs. ''They had a very good meal. It was a disgusting mess.'' Leatherbacks can grow more than two metres long, weigh a tonne and live 100 years. Marc de Verteuil, of the Papa Bois Conservation organisation, said the river had already eroded a lot of the dense nesting areas on the beach, but the government work crews made a bad situation worse. ''Their equipment was basically crushing a much, much larger part of the beach than made sense. It looked like a bit of a panic reaction and they didn't follow procedure,'' he said. Mr De Verteuil said he could not confidently gauge how the loss would affect the region's leatherback population. *AP
Wallabies
Healesville Sanctuary director Glen Holland yesterday desperately contacted many members and supporters by email and phone declaring that Healesville sanctuary will not be killing any swamp wallabies at the Coranderrk bushland as part of their 'restoration project'. Glen claimed that "he was pushed into a corner by channel 7 reporters, trying get him to admit that that was what was going to happen". He said that they have been inundated with people objecting to his media statement and that he wanted one women to " call off the pubic and let them know what he has told her”! Thank you everyone for your actions and support with this very important campaign. We hope that those beautiful animals will now be spared from another unnecessary slaughter by those who we expected to protect them. *ASK
Sea Shepherd
Sea Shepherd conservationists are to mount an Australian mainland campaign for the first time, against the $35 billion Browse gas hub project. The activists will this week set off in their flagship, Steve Irwin, to draw attention to potential impacts on humpback whales of the giant project near Broome, Western Australia. In alliance with the former Greens leader, Bob Brown, and local Aboriginal people, the activists will steam from Melbourne to the Kimberley coast - the main breeding ground for the booming West Australian humpback population. "I'll be helping to lead this trip to draw attention to the fact that this is not a good place for a giant gas factory, with huge ships coming to and fro," said Dr Brown, who has joined the Sea Shepherd advisory board. Woodside and its partners will pipe gas ashore from the Browse Basin for processing and export at James Price Point, if one of Australia's largest energy projects gains final investment approval. It includes dredging a 20-kilometre channel and building a two-kilometre jetty to access the liquefied natural gas from an onshore plant. Impacts on marine fauna such as whales, dugongs and turtles were admitted when the West Australian government gave the environmental green light to the project yesterday.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/conservation/sea-shepherd-to-take-on-woodside-20120717-2277s.html#ixzz20uw9Sh7r
Crocodiles
Numerous giant reptiles have been spotted sunning themselves along the Burdekin River, striking fear in the minds of locals as the crocodile debate heats up again. Chilling out on the banks of the river and paddling in pairs downstream, many of the photographed saltwater crocodiles were big enough to have inhabited the area for years and many were pictured in groups. Burdekin director and deputy vice-chair of Australian Cane Farmers Association Margaret Menzel said the reports of crocs showed just how out-of-control the issue was. "I've been back and a lot of those places, there's croc Lex Mackee, who has been keeping crocodiles for over 50 years, said crocodile numbers were increasing. "They are moving out where they've never been before for the simple reason that numbers are increasing," he said. "What's happened over the last few years, we've had a lot of big floods. They've been getting into dams and waterways where they normally haven't been just due to the prolonged wet season we've been having." *Ayr Advocate
Dingo Howling
http://booksforever1blog.wordpress.com/2012/07/04/three-types-of-dingo-howl-used/
AZWH Patient of the Week.. Jimbo the Brahminy Kite
Age: Juvenile (at this age, Brahminy Kites look very similar to Whistling Kites!) Sex: Unknown
Found on the ground unwilling to fly at Pelican Waters by a local resident, who called the Australia Zoo Rescue Unit for further assistance. Transported to: The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital for specialised treatment and care. Veterinary Assessment: Dr Amber’s assessment found Jimbo was weak and having trouble standing. X-rays and blood tests all came back clear. Treatment: After x-rays and blood tests showed no abnormalities, Jimbo was set up in a quiet enclosure in Birds ICU for observation and to rest, with plenty of food and water provided. Outcome: Jimbo passed a flight test 48 hours after first arriving at the hospital, and was released back into the wild around the same area where he was found. AZWH Statistic: Over 506 native animals have been brought to the AZWH so far this year by the Australia Zoo Rescue Unit. These boys and girls do an amazing job! *AZWH
Become a Wildlife Warrior
By making a one-off donation or joining our monthly giving program you can become part of a global wildlife force that is working hard to preserve our natural environment. Monthly Giving Program; Sign up to become a regular giver for wildlife conservation! Donations start from as little as $2.50 a week and can go to helping our native wildlife at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. Nearly 100 wildlife emergency calls are received every day at the Hospital, Up to 30 different species are admitted to the hospital every day, Currently around 80 koalas undergoing treatment, Approximately 70% of patients are victims of car accidents or domestic pet attacks, The cost to treat one animal ranges from $100 to thousands of dollars To sign up or find out more please visit http://www.wildlifewarriors.org.au *
National Parks
The number of visitors to Kakadu and Uluru Kata Tjuja National Parks has plummeted. Kakadu visitation dropped 16 per cent and Uluru 19 per cent in the 2010/11 financial year from the previous year, National Parks director Peter Cochrane told a Senate estimates committee in May. Kakadu was down 11 per cent in the 2011/12 financial year from the previous year.
Kakadu visitor Bob Ford told the NT News he was unsatisfied with his visit. *NT News
Ed Comment; Comments from readers are that accomodation is poorly serviced and expensive, high cost of petrol, Parks not well managed, some peopke cant afford to go anywhere any more, and its cheaper to go overseas anyway. *
ACT Kangaroos
The NSW government and police are jointly investigating two kangaroo shooting incidents after a confrontation between shooters and animal activists near Michelago, 50 kilometres from the ACT border. Photographs taken by the Canberra activists of a vehicle carrying racks of gutted kangaroo carcasses have been emailed to Australian animal welfare representatives in Russia who are currently meeting government officials to discuss concerns over kangaroo meat exports. Speaking to The Canberra Times from Moscow, Wildlife Protection Association of Australia director Mark Pearson confirmed the Michelago photographs had been included in presentations to European Union officials in Brussels this week. The photos, taken by members of a registered animal welfare charity called Animal Army, were also shown to Russian agriculture ministry officials. ''These photos raise hygiene issues, particularly with regard to contamination. That is something the EU and Russia are very concerned about,'' Mr Pearson said.
The NSW Office of the Environment has confirmed 20 kangaroo carcasses were seized and classified as unfit for human consumption, following an inspection earlier this week. The office confirmed it was assisting an investigation by Queanbeyan police into two alleged ''kangaroo offences'' near Michelago. Detective senior constable Phil McCloskey said illegal shooting of kangaroos was ''a significant problem'' in rural regions close to Canberra. 'Many people seem to be unaware that kangaroos are a protected species, and it is illegal to shoot them without obtaining a permit,'' he said. Commercial kangaroo shooters are required to enrol in a food safety program, and obtain a game meat processing licence. Vehicles used to transport kangaroo carcasses must be regularly checked for safety and hygiene, and numbered tags must be attached to all carcasses.
Russia placed a temporary ban on kangaroo meat imports from Australia three years ago because of concerns about hygiene and the possibility of E.coli contamination. The EU is the biggest importer, but concerns have been raised about hygiene and use of sulphur dioxide as a preservative. The EU has banned use of sulphur dioxide in meat products after tests established it was an irritant for asthma sufferers. Mr Pearson said the photographs showed ''eviscerated carcasses, with body cavities open to dust and other pollutants'', swinging from the back of a vehicle. He said Russian and EU officials who saw the photographs ''were very firm in voicing opinions that they expect any form of meat processing must meet the highest standards of hygiene'' as well as animal welfare. Animal Army spokesperson Marcus Fillinger said he and another activist confronted the shooters on a public road after they left a property near Michelago. 'We know there is a huge illegal industry built on supplying kangaroo meat to the pet food trade, because there are no inspectors on site to ensure regulations are followed,'' he said.
Sources working at local animal shelters have told The Canberra Times they know of several outlets in Canberra, Queanbeyan, Bungendore and Cooma that buy and sell illegally harvested kangaroo meat as pet food. The NSW Food Authority regulates the killing and processing of kangaroo meat under its Wild Game Meat food safety accreditation program. A spokeswoman said all licensed retail meat premises in NSW were required to purchase meat from approved and licensed suppliers, ''so a butcher should know where the meat has come from.'' Similar regulations apply in the ACT. * Canberra Times
Kangaroos
Kangaroos have hit "plague proportions" across western Queensland, according to state MP Vaughan Johnson. Mr Johnson, who has represented the outback electorate of Gregory since 1989, says numbers of the animals have skyrocketed. "Everywhere you go in that inside central country, the roos are in plague proportions," he told ABC Radio this morning. "(I have) never seen anything like it in my life. Out of control." Mr Johnson said he'd struck six in a single drive recently, and that the animals were creating a hazard for drivers of small cars in particular. Numbers of kangaroos in Queensland have ballooned since Russia stopped importing kangaroo meat in 2009, following a contamination scare. *NZ Herald
Russia regains a taste for roo
Farmers claim kangaroos are in plague proportions and they want the Queensland and Federal governments to help kickstart export roo meat sales as a way of reducing near-record numbers. In 2009, Russia blacklisted kangaroo meat because of contamination. Australia has since met requirements but the market remains in limbo. Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia chief executive John Kelly yesterday blamed lacklustre help from both governments. "For a minor $1 million investment, the Queensland Government could generate $100 million a year in export income," Mr Kelly said. State Agriculture Minister John McVeigh said he would meet with the Russian ambassador next month to discuss what could be done to restore the trade. "The Government has also asked the Agent-General in London, Ken Smith, to use his role as Queensland's advocate to communicate with the Russians on behalf of Queensland kangaroo meat industry," he said. AgForce spokesman Stephen Tully said kangaroo numbers passed 20 million last year in Queensland and were costing grain and grazing industries $75 million a year as they ate through pastures and crops. University of Queensland biologist Gordon Grigg said numbers would be high after good seasons and reduced shooting. If the trade could be restarted, it would help ease a major animal welfare issue when the next drought arrived, during which millions of animals would starve to death. "The harvest is pretty humane," Professor Grigg said. Pouch young are killed by a blow to the head, although there is an animal welfare issue with large joeys virtually out of the pouch but not ready to survive without their mother. Mr Kelly said the roo industry was the most humane way of producing red meat, with animals dying without stress. *Courier Mail
This link is to an 4BC audio podcast. The 4BC presenter (Greg Cary) is interviewing John Kelly of KIA –
I found out to my horror that the radio host on the Morning program of Brisbane Radio Station 4BC was telling the listeners about the ‘plagues and plagues of kangaroos’. He referred to the front page story of today’s Courier Mail and that his first guest was John Kelly of the KIA. The radio presenter’s name is Greg Cary and he is held in quite high esteem, and usually presents a balanced view of everything. However, he was in total agreement with bloody John Kelly!!!! He knows nothing about how kangaroos are really ‘harvested’, nor any facts about their true numbers, their breeding cycle, their mortality rate, nor the fact that they don’t rape and pillage the land! He only knows the typical ‘farmer’ bullshit. Below is the newspaper article, and the second link is the audio interview he did with John Kelly.
Link to 4BC Blog to please leave a comment http://www.4bc.com.au
http://www.4bc.com.au/blogs/4bc-blog/kangaroo-meat-export/20120717-227j1.html
Greg Cary said he is having the Premier (Campbell Newman) in the studio next week, and stated that he will raise the issue of kangaroo exports with him. John Kelly’s pushing for a “Political Champion” to pick this up and mastermind a co-ordinated marketing campaign in an effort to open up the export industry again. The lies and bullshit being touted by Kelly are just unbelievable. Unfortunately the uninformed public would not know any different, and neither does the radio presenter. I am sick to my stomach with worry. The only reason the LNP aren’t siding with him, is that they are presently in a severe cost cutting mode, trying to get the previous Labor party debt under control, and therefore won’t part with a $1 million to fund the KIA marketing campaign AT THE MOMENT, BUT THAT COULD CHANGE. It only takes one of the politicians to take this under their wing. Can we try and get a concerted effort to write to the Queensland Premier – or whatever you think is the best course of action. Nik or Fi or Pat - do you think you could contact the radio station and ask to do an interview with this Greg Cary to give “the other side of the story”. Apparently he believes in “the right of reply”. 4BC phone number is: (07) 3908 8200. Website: www.4bc.com.au
Apparenty Ray Mjadwesch is being interviewed on 4BC now.
More calls for killing wildlife have erupted after anther surfer was killed by Great White Shark in Western Australia. Strident calls to kill crocodiles, bats, possums, kangaroos, magpies and other birds, ducks, sharks and other wildlife are coming from those who do not want to live with wildlife. Where it will stop we dont know, but allowing shooters into National Parks in NSW has triggered an avalanche of calls across Australia to kill anything that some people dont like. Fortunately the new LNP government in Queensland has resisted some of these outbursts, and has refused to contemplate croc trophy hunting, although shooting of flying foxes still remains on the agenda. However, they do have other pressing issues to deal with, like a revolting public service, and some bad media about employing relatives in Ministers offices. Hopefully these issues may take some pressure off our wildlife. *
Seal Kill Starts
Namibia's annual seal hunt, which will see some 86,000 Cape fur seals slaughtered by end November, starts on Sunday amid outcry from conservation groups that brand it a massacre for trade purposes. This year targets are to club 80,000 pups and shoot 6,000 bulls to death. Namibian authorities maintain that what they call seal harvesting is meant to control the burgeoning population which threatens the fishing industry. "Namibia's seal population has increased to the point where they exceeded by far the carrying capacity of the environment ... therefore it is humane to curb the unrestrained seal population to a level where they can be sustained by the environment," the government said in a statement. But activists slam these reasons as hypocritical, saying the hunts are carried out for commercial gain. "There is no justification for the killing. This is purely a political and economic issue, with very little concern for animal welfare," conservation charity International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) director for Southern Africa Jason Bell told AFP. * iAfrica.com Read more .. http://news.iafrica.com/sa/805843.html
Something Scary!
In the last 12 months, millions of monster mosquitoes - genetically modified in laboratories to 'test' their effectiveness at reducing the risk of mosquito-borne illnesses - have been released into the wild without either the knowledge or permission of local inhabitants. We have no idea how safe these sorts of experiments are yet 'scientists' in their incredibly hubris, continue to take these risks on our behalf. Townsville, QLD, Florida and Malaysia are just a few of the locations for this uncontrolled experiment. This article makes a good case for the need to regulate this sort of testing - NOW!
http://theconversation.edu.au/time-to-regulate-the-release-of-gm-mosquitoes-and-heres-how5062?utm_source=Newsletter+13+July+2012&utm_campaign=June+6th+Newsletter&utm_medium=email
National Parks
The NSW government has put a scythe through its environment office, cutting 350 jobs and slicing many programs in national parks, animal management and climate change research.
The public service cuts, which amount to nearly 12 per cent of all workers in the Office of Environment and Heritage, mean some national parks will go unstaffed, and visitors will be forced to utilise a ''self service'' culture in some regions. The staff cuts, which will result from a combination of redundancy packages and ''natural attrition'', will save $101 million by 2016, said the Environ-ment Minister, Robyn Parker. Internal documents circulated among employees said the agency had committed to cutting costs in kangaroo harvesting programs, reducing wilderness and wild river assessments, deregulating wildlife licensing where appropriate, scaling back soil and salinity research and ''reducing effort in our biodiversity programs''. Many climate change programs had been stopped or scaled back, the government said. They include cuts in soil carbon sequestration programs, energy efficiency programs and greenhouse gas cuts policy development. 'The transport emissions reduction policy and programs including policy work on electric vehicles, national transport sector emissions reduction and heavy vehicle emissions reduction have ceased,'' the government said in a statement. The cuts were partly driven by the national carbon price, ''to avoid duplication with the federal government in a post-carbon tax world'', Ms Parker said. However, the state government also hopes to see the federal carbon price abolished, as the federal Coalition has pledged to do if it wins next year's election.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/parks-will-go-unstaffed-as-environment-jobs-slashed-20120717-228cn.html#ixzz20uvQGM1K
Ed Comment; We have to wonder who will supervise and control the hunters who are now permitted to hunt in NSW National Parks. *
Turtles
Thousands of leatherback turtle eggs and hatchlings have been crushed by heavy machinery on a beach in Trinidad. Conservationists said the beach was widely regarded as the world's most dense nesting area for the biggest species of living sea turtles, which is endangered. Government work crews with bulldozers were redirecting the Grand Riviere, a shifting river that was threatening a hotel. The hotel was full of tourists who had come to Trinidad to see the tiny leatherback hatchlings head for the surf. Instead, they saw injured hatchlings dying Conservationists said the crews dug up an unnecessarily large swath of the beach on Trinidad's northern shore. Sherwin Reyz, a member of the Grand Riviere Environmental Organisation, estimated that as many as 20,000 eggs were crushed or consumed by vultures and stray dogs. ''They had a very good meal. It was a disgusting mess.'' Leatherbacks can grow more than two metres long, weigh a tonne and live 100 years. Marc de Verteuil, of the Papa Bois Conservation organisation, said the river had already eroded a lot of the dense nesting areas on the beach, but the government work crews made a bad situation worse. ''Their equipment was basically crushing a much, much larger part of the beach than made sense. It looked like a bit of a panic reaction and they didn't follow procedure,'' he said. Mr De Verteuil said he could not confidently gauge how the loss would affect the region's leatherback population. *AP
Wallabies
Healesville Sanctuary director Glen Holland yesterday desperately contacted many members and supporters by email and phone declaring that Healesville sanctuary will not be killing any swamp wallabies at the Coranderrk bushland as part of their 'restoration project'. Glen claimed that "he was pushed into a corner by channel 7 reporters, trying get him to admit that that was what was going to happen". He said that they have been inundated with people objecting to his media statement and that he wanted one women to " call off the pubic and let them know what he has told her”! Thank you everyone for your actions and support with this very important campaign. We hope that those beautiful animals will now be spared from another unnecessary slaughter by those who we expected to protect them. *ASK
Sea Shepherd
Sea Shepherd conservationists are to mount an Australian mainland campaign for the first time, against the $35 billion Browse gas hub project. The activists will this week set off in their flagship, Steve Irwin, to draw attention to potential impacts on humpback whales of the giant project near Broome, Western Australia. In alliance with the former Greens leader, Bob Brown, and local Aboriginal people, the activists will steam from Melbourne to the Kimberley coast - the main breeding ground for the booming West Australian humpback population. "I'll be helping to lead this trip to draw attention to the fact that this is not a good place for a giant gas factory, with huge ships coming to and fro," said Dr Brown, who has joined the Sea Shepherd advisory board. Woodside and its partners will pipe gas ashore from the Browse Basin for processing and export at James Price Point, if one of Australia's largest energy projects gains final investment approval. It includes dredging a 20-kilometre channel and building a two-kilometre jetty to access the liquefied natural gas from an onshore plant. Impacts on marine fauna such as whales, dugongs and turtles were admitted when the West Australian government gave the environmental green light to the project yesterday.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/conservation/sea-shepherd-to-take-on-woodside-20120717-2277s.html#ixzz20uw9Sh7r
Crocodiles
Numerous giant reptiles have been spotted sunning themselves along the Burdekin River, striking fear in the minds of locals as the crocodile debate heats up again. Chilling out on the banks of the river and paddling in pairs downstream, many of the photographed saltwater crocodiles were big enough to have inhabited the area for years and many were pictured in groups. Burdekin director and deputy vice-chair of Australian Cane Farmers Association Margaret Menzel said the reports of crocs showed just how out-of-control the issue was. "I've been back and a lot of those places, there's croc Lex Mackee, who has been keeping crocodiles for over 50 years, said crocodile numbers were increasing. "They are moving out where they've never been before for the simple reason that numbers are increasing," he said. "What's happened over the last few years, we've had a lot of big floods. They've been getting into dams and waterways where they normally haven't been just due to the prolonged wet season we've been having." *Ayr Advocate
Dingo Howling
http://booksforever1blog.wordpress.com/2012/07/04/three-types-of-dingo-howl-used/
AZWH Patient of the Week.. Jimbo the Brahminy Kite
Age: Juvenile (at this age, Brahminy Kites look very similar to Whistling Kites!) Sex: Unknown
Found on the ground unwilling to fly at Pelican Waters by a local resident, who called the Australia Zoo Rescue Unit for further assistance. Transported to: The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital for specialised treatment and care. Veterinary Assessment: Dr Amber’s assessment found Jimbo was weak and having trouble standing. X-rays and blood tests all came back clear. Treatment: After x-rays and blood tests showed no abnormalities, Jimbo was set up in a quiet enclosure in Birds ICU for observation and to rest, with plenty of food and water provided. Outcome: Jimbo passed a flight test 48 hours after first arriving at the hospital, and was released back into the wild around the same area where he was found. AZWH Statistic: Over 506 native animals have been brought to the AZWH so far this year by the Australia Zoo Rescue Unit. These boys and girls do an amazing job! *AZWH
Become a Wildlife Warrior
By making a one-off donation or joining our monthly giving program you can become part of a global wildlife force that is working hard to preserve our natural environment. Monthly Giving Program; Sign up to become a regular giver for wildlife conservation! Donations start from as little as $2.50 a week and can go to helping our native wildlife at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. Nearly 100 wildlife emergency calls are received every day at the Hospital, Up to 30 different species are admitted to the hospital every day, Currently around 80 koalas undergoing treatment, Approximately 70% of patients are victims of car accidents or domestic pet attacks, The cost to treat one animal ranges from $100 to thousands of dollars To sign up or find out more please visit http://www.wildlifewarriors.org.au *
National Parks
The number of visitors to Kakadu and Uluru Kata Tjuja National Parks has plummeted. Kakadu visitation dropped 16 per cent and Uluru 19 per cent in the 2010/11 financial year from the previous year, National Parks director Peter Cochrane told a Senate estimates committee in May. Kakadu was down 11 per cent in the 2011/12 financial year from the previous year.
Kakadu visitor Bob Ford told the NT News he was unsatisfied with his visit. *NT News
Ed Comment; Comments from readers are that accomodation is poorly serviced and expensive, high cost of petrol, Parks not well managed, some peopke cant afford to go anywhere any more, and its cheaper to go overseas anyway. *
ACT Kangaroos
The NSW government and police are jointly investigating two kangaroo shooting incidents after a confrontation between shooters and animal activists near Michelago, 50 kilometres from the ACT border. Photographs taken by the Canberra activists of a vehicle carrying racks of gutted kangaroo carcasses have been emailed to Australian animal welfare representatives in Russia who are currently meeting government officials to discuss concerns over kangaroo meat exports. Speaking to The Canberra Times from Moscow, Wildlife Protection Association of Australia director Mark Pearson confirmed the Michelago photographs had been included in presentations to European Union officials in Brussels this week. The photos, taken by members of a registered animal welfare charity called Animal Army, were also shown to Russian agriculture ministry officials. ''These photos raise hygiene issues, particularly with regard to contamination. That is something the EU and Russia are very concerned about,'' Mr Pearson said.
The NSW Office of the Environment has confirmed 20 kangaroo carcasses were seized and classified as unfit for human consumption, following an inspection earlier this week. The office confirmed it was assisting an investigation by Queanbeyan police into two alleged ''kangaroo offences'' near Michelago. Detective senior constable Phil McCloskey said illegal shooting of kangaroos was ''a significant problem'' in rural regions close to Canberra. 'Many people seem to be unaware that kangaroos are a protected species, and it is illegal to shoot them without obtaining a permit,'' he said. Commercial kangaroo shooters are required to enrol in a food safety program, and obtain a game meat processing licence. Vehicles used to transport kangaroo carcasses must be regularly checked for safety and hygiene, and numbered tags must be attached to all carcasses.
Russia placed a temporary ban on kangaroo meat imports from Australia three years ago because of concerns about hygiene and the possibility of E.coli contamination. The EU is the biggest importer, but concerns have been raised about hygiene and use of sulphur dioxide as a preservative. The EU has banned use of sulphur dioxide in meat products after tests established it was an irritant for asthma sufferers. Mr Pearson said the photographs showed ''eviscerated carcasses, with body cavities open to dust and other pollutants'', swinging from the back of a vehicle. He said Russian and EU officials who saw the photographs ''were very firm in voicing opinions that they expect any form of meat processing must meet the highest standards of hygiene'' as well as animal welfare. Animal Army spokesperson Marcus Fillinger said he and another activist confronted the shooters on a public road after they left a property near Michelago. 'We know there is a huge illegal industry built on supplying kangaroo meat to the pet food trade, because there are no inspectors on site to ensure regulations are followed,'' he said.
Sources working at local animal shelters have told The Canberra Times they know of several outlets in Canberra, Queanbeyan, Bungendore and Cooma that buy and sell illegally harvested kangaroo meat as pet food. The NSW Food Authority regulates the killing and processing of kangaroo meat under its Wild Game Meat food safety accreditation program. A spokeswoman said all licensed retail meat premises in NSW were required to purchase meat from approved and licensed suppliers, ''so a butcher should know where the meat has come from.'' Similar regulations apply in the ACT. * Canberra Times
Kangaroos
Kangaroos have hit "plague proportions" across western Queensland, according to state MP Vaughan Johnson. Mr Johnson, who has represented the outback electorate of Gregory since 1989, says numbers of the animals have skyrocketed. "Everywhere you go in that inside central country, the roos are in plague proportions," he told ABC Radio this morning. "(I have) never seen anything like it in my life. Out of control." Mr Johnson said he'd struck six in a single drive recently, and that the animals were creating a hazard for drivers of small cars in particular. Numbers of kangaroos in Queensland have ballooned since Russia stopped importing kangaroo meat in 2009, following a contamination scare. *NZ Herald
Russia regains a taste for roo
Farmers claim kangaroos are in plague proportions and they want the Queensland and Federal governments to help kickstart export roo meat sales as a way of reducing near-record numbers. In 2009, Russia blacklisted kangaroo meat because of contamination. Australia has since met requirements but the market remains in limbo. Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia chief executive John Kelly yesterday blamed lacklustre help from both governments. "For a minor $1 million investment, the Queensland Government could generate $100 million a year in export income," Mr Kelly said. State Agriculture Minister John McVeigh said he would meet with the Russian ambassador next month to discuss what could be done to restore the trade. "The Government has also asked the Agent-General in London, Ken Smith, to use his role as Queensland's advocate to communicate with the Russians on behalf of Queensland kangaroo meat industry," he said. AgForce spokesman Stephen Tully said kangaroo numbers passed 20 million last year in Queensland and were costing grain and grazing industries $75 million a year as they ate through pastures and crops. University of Queensland biologist Gordon Grigg said numbers would be high after good seasons and reduced shooting. If the trade could be restarted, it would help ease a major animal welfare issue when the next drought arrived, during which millions of animals would starve to death. "The harvest is pretty humane," Professor Grigg said. Pouch young are killed by a blow to the head, although there is an animal welfare issue with large joeys virtually out of the pouch but not ready to survive without their mother. Mr Kelly said the roo industry was the most humane way of producing red meat, with animals dying without stress. *Courier Mail
This link is to an 4BC audio podcast. The 4BC presenter (Greg Cary) is interviewing John Kelly of KIA –
I found out to my horror that the radio host on the Morning program of Brisbane Radio Station 4BC was telling the listeners about the ‘plagues and plagues of kangaroos’. He referred to the front page story of today’s Courier Mail and that his first guest was John Kelly of the KIA. The radio presenter’s name is Greg Cary and he is held in quite high esteem, and usually presents a balanced view of everything. However, he was in total agreement with bloody John Kelly!!!! He knows nothing about how kangaroos are really ‘harvested’, nor any facts about their true numbers, their breeding cycle, their mortality rate, nor the fact that they don’t rape and pillage the land! He only knows the typical ‘farmer’ bullshit. Below is the newspaper article, and the second link is the audio interview he did with John Kelly.
Link to 4BC Blog to please leave a comment http://www.4bc.com.au
http://www.4bc.com.au/blogs/4bc-blog/kangaroo-meat-export/20120717-227j1.html
Greg Cary said he is having the Premier (Campbell Newman) in the studio next week, and stated that he will raise the issue of kangaroo exports with him. John Kelly’s pushing for a “Political Champion” to pick this up and mastermind a co-ordinated marketing campaign in an effort to open up the export industry again. The lies and bullshit being touted by Kelly are just unbelievable. Unfortunately the uninformed public would not know any different, and neither does the radio presenter. I am sick to my stomach with worry. The only reason the LNP aren’t siding with him, is that they are presently in a severe cost cutting mode, trying to get the previous Labor party debt under control, and therefore won’t part with a $1 million to fund the KIA marketing campaign AT THE MOMENT, BUT THAT COULD CHANGE. It only takes one of the politicians to take this under their wing. Can we try and get a concerted effort to write to the Queensland Premier – or whatever you think is the best course of action. Nik or Fi or Pat - do you think you could contact the radio station and ask to do an interview with this Greg Cary to give “the other side of the story”. Apparently he believes in “the right of reply”. 4BC phone number is: (07) 3908 8200. Website: www.4bc.com.au
Apparenty Ray Mjadwesch is being interviewed on 4BC now.
Tuesday, July 10, 2012
Wildlife Bytes 10/7/12
Editorial
Our wildlife comes under more attacks from our own Government agencies. As you can read below, an overseas conservation organisation, CITES, lists the Australian dingo as a "restricted" species, even while Australian Government departments aerial drop 1080 poison over vast areas to kill them......but why was the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Treaty (CITES) restriction lifted in the first place.....was it lifted to facilitate even more 1080 drops?......we can't think of any other reason.....
Dingoes
Please find link below to a wonderful magazine, interesting article and beautiful photos by Jennifer Parkhurst, Click and drag in any direction, Pages 69-70.
http://bareessentialsmagazine.uberflip.com/i/72758/0 * SFID Committee
As we mentioned recently in Wildlife Bytes, a consultancy has been appointed to undertake a review of the Fraser Island Dingo Management Strategy. The Minister assures us that there will be an oppportunity for a range of stakeholders to have input into the Review. See article below.....* WPAA
A Sydney woman who runs an award-winning pet transport business has been charged with smuggling dingos to the US....Read more further down......
GBR
Greenpeace have a Petition to Save the Reef here ... https://www.greenpeace.org.au/action/?cid=26&src=EM
Whales and Whaling
Rescuers have freed a whale trapped in shark nets on the Gold Coast. The humpback was reported snared in nets off Main Beach this morning. A marine animal rescue team from Sea World and the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol responded. The annual whale migration from Antarctica to North Queensland has only just started. Whales regularly become trapped in the shark nets that protect Gold Coast beaches, leading to calls from conservationists for the nets to be removed during the winter migration. But successive Queensland governments have refused to take down the nets for fear it could lead to increased shark attacks. *Courier Mail
Ed Comment; Its actually got nothing to do with "fear it could lead to more shark attacks" but everything to do with the tourism industry, who want the nets to stay to encourage more visitation to the Gold Coast. While the nets are there, there is a perception that its safe to swim there. And of course its not...the nets don't stop the sharks, they can swim around them, or under them. Swim on the Gold Coast...no way hosey.....too much shark bait in the water there.....
If you'd like to write to the Korean Ambassador about Korea's intention to start "scientific" Minke whaling, the address is....... The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, Cho Tae-Yong, 113 Empire Circuit, Yarralumla, Canberra, A.C.T 2600. The Korean "scientific"hunting of Minke whales, is similar to that run by Japan, but is potentially even more damaging to whales as they will target Minke near the shores of Korea, a small and vulnerable population. Meanwhile a new survey by the National Marine Mammal Laboratory shows that the population of the North Pacific Right Whale has fallen so low that the species is likely to be the first of the great whales to be wiped out by humans. Remnant whales are spread across millions of square km of ocean, and are they too far apart to find each other and breed. * WPAA
Pigeon Virus
New South Wales authorities have found two more cases of a deadly pigeon virus. The state's Department of Primary industries says the paramyxovirus has been found in lofts in Sydney's west and south-west. Four cases have now been confirmed in the city since May, with scores of pigeons having died or been put down. All cases have been linked to an infected bird from Melbourne. Deputy chief veterinary officer Sally Spence says pigeon owners should be vaccinating their birds. She says that unlike the recent outbreak in Victoria, the virus has not spread to feral pigeons. "We're very, very hopeful that won't happen, because obviously once that occurs you've got no control over it," Dr Spence said. "That's why we're so encouraging everybody to vaccinate their birds and then hopefully, the vaccine's not 100 per cent but hopefully, it will just damp the disease down enough that we won't get it spread into the feral pigeon population." *ABC
AZWH Patient of the Week....Wazza the Wompoo Pigeon
Found on the ground at a property in Mt Glorious after a suspected collision with a window, and transported to: The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital for specialised treatment and care. Dr Amber assessed Wazza and discovered blood in the lungs as a result of the trauma. X-rays confirmed Wazza had luckily not sustained any fractures. Dr Amber administered Wazza with some pain relief and set up a snug enclosure in Birds ICU to aid recovery. After a couple of days in care Wazza was able to fly again, but still had some trouble standing and remaining upright on the perch. Wazza has been transferred to a local wildlife carer for further rehabilitation, and will soon be released back into the wild. AZWH Statistic: So far in 2012, over 30 animals have been admitted due to injuries caused by hitting objects. Stickers on windows are a great idea to help birds see them! *AZWH
National Parks
The Shooters and Fishers Party has claimed national parks will be opened for hunting shortly after Christmas and shooters will be able to operate without close supervision, despite assurances by the government they will be strictly monitored. But the claims have been rejected by the state government, in the latest disagreement over how the policy will be implemented. The government has agreed to open 79 national parks and reserves for recreational hunting of feral animals for the first time as part of a deal to win Shooters and Fishers Party support for its electricity privatisation legislation, which was passed last month. Shortly after the announcement of the plan, the Premier, Barry O'Farrell, told Parliament hunters would be subjected to strict conditions. ''In a sense it is akin to what takes place with hazard burning carried out near to those who live in metropolitan areas that border national parks,'' he said. ''Once or twice a year, even less frequently sometimes, hazard burning takes place for limited periods and it is scientifically designed, well-managed, properly resourced and carried out under strict supervision.'' But in response to concerns raised by its members, the Shooters and Fishers Party has posted a series of questions and answers on its website to address what it terms ''incorrect information'' by the Greens, the National Parks Association and ''others''. The party advises its members: ''It will be as it is in state forests. National parks will not be closed and there will be no close supervision by NP staff.''
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/conservation/shooters-party-calls-shots-on-how-parks-will-handle-hunting-20120709-21qs4.html#ixzz20A3scxJd
Become a Wildlife Warrior
By making a one-off donation or joining our monthly giving program you can become part of a global wildlife force that is working hard to preserve our natural environment. Monthly Giving Program; Sign up to become a regular giver for wildlife conservation! Donations start from as little as $2.50 a week and can go to helping our native wildlife at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. Nearly 100 wildlife emergency calls are received every day at the Hospital, Up to 30 different species are admitted to the hospital every day, Currently around 80 koalas undergoing treatment, Approximately 70% of patients are victims of car accidents or domestic pet attacks, The cost to treat one animal ranges from $100 to thousands of dollars To sign up or find out more please visit http://www.wildlifewarriors.org.au *
Marine Rubbish
A turtle with a fish hook in its gut, an owl with a broken wing, a little penguin sliced by a propeller - all injuries caused by the most dangerous animals of all, humans. Most of the time, Libby Hall can patch them up and send them on their way. But the manager of Taronga Wildlife Hospital says the injuries can be prevented. 'We see everything from tiny frogs right through to large leopard seals and everything in between,'' Ms Hall says. Many of the animals treated at the hospital are injured by cars or cats and dogs. Others, such as owls and microbats, are affected by land clearing. But she attributes most of the recent ''dramatic increases'' in animal deaths and injuries, such as turtles and penguins, to marine debris. ''Marine turtles are endangered worldwide and one of the biggest threats is ingestion of plastic,'' Ms Hall says. ''I call it death by plastic.'' While plastic bags were a major problem, Ms Hall says ''there are pieces of plastic right through the animal's intestine''. Other debris is also a problem. ''We see bottle tops, balloons are also common, as well as bait bags, rope, fishing line and fish hooks,'' she says. ''We are having great success treating marine turtles when we can remove the debris but small pieces of plastic are now everywhere in the marine environment.''
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/animals/trauma-in-the-trash-20120707-21nq2.html#ixzz20A4UDUYo
Sealing
Namibia government has put together a task team to deal with negative international publicity surrounding Namibia's annual seal cull and its effect on tourism, especially the country's chances to host the Adventure Tourism World Summit (ATWS) next year. Namibia is one of three countries shortlisted to host the global event, which is expected to lure about 600 players in the adventure tourism industry to the country. Should Namibia be chosen, it will also be the first time the ATWS will take place in Africa. However, shortly after the Adventure Travel Tourism Association (ATTA) sent its inspection team to Namibia in May, anti-sealing activists calling themselves Just for Seals Namibia launched a petition to get the body to reject the country's bid. By yesterday afternoon, 5 557 people around the globe had signed the petition. At a meeting of the tourism industry on Monday, marketers voiced their concern about the anti-sealing campaign, set to start on July 15, and the impact it might have have on tourist bookings. Gitta Paetzold, chief executive officer of the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN), yesterday told The Namibian that the consensus at the meeting was that Namibia needed a national strategy on the seal issue. "We all need to convey the same message," she said. Paetzold said Namibia virtually has the ATWS in the bag, and that the seal controversy could be the "only negative". Acting Permanent Secretary of Environment and Tourism Erica Akuenje scheduled the first meeting of the task force for yesterday afternoon. Although the seal cull doesn't fall under her Ministry, the seal issue is used to impact the tourism industry negatively. *Read more .. http://allafrica.com/stories/201207060883.html
Sign the anti-sealing Petition here http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/stop-seal-hunt-in-namibia/
Flying Foxes
Flying Foxes across the Fraser Coast have left wildlife carers in a flurry after they were called to rescue three bats in a week. Maryborough wildlife carer Natalie Richardson said two of the bats had become stuck in fruit tree netting, while another had been hit by a vehicle. "We do get a lot of callouts to remove bats from netting and fences. "It's important that people do call wildlife carers to remove them, not only because bats can carry a lot of diseases, but because we know how to handle native fauna," Ms Richardson said. The animal lover said Fraser Coast residents who did stumble across an injured bat - or any other animal - should contact their local wildlife carer. "Carers are equipped with all of the right tools to care for injured animals," she said. "We can pick up and care for any animal, except for venomous snakes." The easiest way to get in touch with a wildlife carer was through your vet, Ms Richardson said. "All vets have a list of wildlife carers and RSPCA contacts who can be called to collect injured animals," she said. * Fraser Coast Chronicle
WA River Bandaid
Oxygen will be pumped into stretches of the Canning River at risk of severe algal blooms to keep plants and fish alive. In a move branded as life support for a dying river by the Conservation Council of WA, the State Government will plough $3.4 million into oxygenation systems over the next two years. Funds will go towards two new million-dollar plants, one to be built at Langford next year and another in the river's upper reaches scheduled for 2014. A further $1.4 million will be spent on major upgrades to two existing plants, near Wilson and Ferndale. "Without these oxygen plants, large stretches of the Canning River upstream of the (Kent Street) weir would experience low dissolved oxygen levels for much of the year, making it a potentially hostile environment for much of our aquatic fauna," Environment Minister Bill Marmion said. But CCWA director Piers Verstegen said oxygenating the rivers artificially was a bandaid measure that did not address the causes of their poor health, including nutrients from agricultural fertilisers.
Low oxygen levels can cause a build-up of nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorus, leading to algal blooms that can result in mass fish deaths. The oxygenation plants take water from the bottom of the river, super-saturate it with oxygen under pressure and pipe it back. Jorg Imberger, director of the University of WA's Centre for Water Research, said oxygen levels were almost zero at 1-2m below the surface between Bassendean and Point Walter. "The plants do some good within a small area, but for the river overall it does no good at all to put these things in," Professor Imberger said. "The river is dead for something like 40-50km and you're saving a kilometre at most per installation." Mr Marmion said that the oxygenation plants provided "a more immediate and localised improvement in water quality" while other river improvement programs took effect. * thewest.com.au
Logging
The retail giant Harvey Norman has been accused of selling flooring made from native forests in NSW where koalas face extinction following an investigation by environmental activists who tracked timber harvested in prime koala habitat. The environment group Markets For Change said its investigation found Harvey Norman buys timber flooring from forests recognised as critical habitat for koalas in NSW and sells it as part of its "Naturally Australian" flooring range. Markets for Change tracked timber harvested by Forests NSW from Boambee State Forest, considered prime koala habitat, to a sawmill in Koolkhan owned by Boral Limited, Australia's largest building and construction materials company.
The sawn timber from Boral's sawmill in Koolkhan was then transported to a flooring manufacturing mill where Boral produces Harvey Norman's Naturally Australian flooring range, the group said. 'Harvey Norman claims its Naturally Australian flooring products are sourced from 'sustainable and renewable natural resources' when instead they are contributing to the destruction of Australia's native forests and destroying vital koala habitat,'' the group's report, to be released today, says. 'Markets for Change calls on Harvey Norman to phase out selling products made from native forests … [and] to give their customers clear and accurate information about the source of their wood products.''
The report says figures from the Australian Koala Foundation reveal there may be as few as 43,000 koalas remaining in the wild and warns logging forests is a leading threat to koalas. 'This report establishes clear links between this endangered koala habitat, the forest companies that are logging and processing it, and Australia's largest furniture and electronics retailer, Harvey Norman,'' the report says. The group's campaign manager, Louise Morris, said Harvey Norman had a unique opportunity to show leadership. "Customers are increasingly demanding to know where their products come from and will vote with their wallets if a product is being sold at the expense of the natural environment,'' Ms Morris said. "It makes environmental and economic sense for Harvey Norman to shift to become a truly sustainable and responsible retailer by implementing publicly available procurement policies that ensure customers are no longer misled about the true story behind the products they buy." Harvey Norman was contacted for a comment but did not wish to respond. *Age
Kangaroos
Forget Skippy the Bush Kangaroo - a large mob of eastern grey roos has made itself well at home in suburban Maryborough. While Granville's St Mungo Plantation Park has long been a haunt for the animals, their numbers have increased in the wake of recent rains. "Some days there's six and sometimes there's more than 15 - it depends on the weather," Granville woman Paula Davies said. "Sometimes they stay all day, and jump the fence to get into the school or come right up to the houses to eat the grass." She said while most people left the animals alone, they were sometimes chased by children or off-leash dogs - an action she feared could end in injury to a child or a roo. "Some kids will chase them right down to the scout hall," Ms Davies said. "I've heard of places where kangaroos have swung at kids, and there's a two-metre buck that could really do some damage."
Fraser Coast TESS Wildlife Sanctuary curator Ray Revill said the wet weather meant more kangaroos than usual had been hopping around in well-populated areas. "Because of the recent rain, the grass is not in good condition, so they've gone to where the better grass is," Mr Revill said. He was able to get within metres of the Granville mob, as the kangaroos had become accustomed to people. Despite any risks of passing cars or dogs or children, Mr Revill said the best plan was to leave them be. He warned people to stay clear of them, avoid feeding them and that the animals would defend themselves if they felt threatened. "The buck will growl and rake at the ground with his front paws if he thinks you're too close to him or one of his women," Mr Revill said. * Fraser Coast Chronicle
Organisers of a fund set up to find those responsible for the mutilation of a kangaroo in a Bendigo car park are calling for final tip-offs to track down the culprit. The trust fund account has attracted more than $4000 in donations after being set up as a reward for information leading to charges. BLS Financial Services managing director Adam Mackenzie set up the account and said he wanted anyone with information about the April 27 incident to come forward as soon as possible. He said at the end of the month the funds would be given to whoever gave the initial tip-off or, if no charges have been laid, more discussions would be held over whether to donate the money to the Wildlife Rescue Emergency Service. “The idea was to flush out the person, but we realised people also have a right to know who gave the tip off, who claimed the money and who didn’t claim the money,” he said. The call comes as the Department of Sustainability and Environment continues its ongoing investigation into the incident. DSE compliance acting program manager Shaun Burke said they were looking into alleged offences under the Wildlife Act and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Mr Burke said the DSE was now leading the investigation after Bendigo police conducted a number of interviews over the kangaroo killing. Mr Mackenzie said the mutilation of the kangaroo has generated a huge response from the community. “There’s been an incredible amount of interest and generosity with people reaching into their own pockets,” he said. Australian Social Network Marketing director Tom Bailey, who originally put forward $500 and got the idea started, said he received about 20 emails with information, mostly pointing to one name. He said other emails had been sent to his account offering support and encouragement. “It’s been really well received in the community, I got a lot of emails, not necessarily from people with information, just saying it was a good initiative,” he said. “The only thing that disappointed me was that some people specified they were only doing it for the money. I had one person say this couldn’t have come at a better time, because he needed to fix his car.”
Mr Bailey said he’d like to see the money donated to WRES if there was no charges laid or no one could claim the fund. WRES co-founder Jo Lyall said the account was separate to the work of the organisation and any donation would be that person’s choice. “It’s entirely up to the individuals, it’s not something we raised,” she said. “In the event that it doesn’t go to someone, then if they want their money back we have no problem with that whatsoever. They’ve put that money in in good faith.” Ms Lyall said the kangaroo incident had a broad affect on the community and needed a swift response. “As a community we’re not going to tolerate it,” she said. “It’s an utterly unnecessary act and there needs to be an example made of the person responsible. “There’s got to be a precedent set to deter the next lot that think of doing it.” *BendigoAdvertiser
A wildlife rescue worker who found a mother kangaroo with three arrows embedded in her body has no doubt it was an act of animal cruelty. Speaking with Derryn Hinch, Manfred Zabinskas from Five Freedoms Animal Rescue said he found the wounded kangaroo in Blackwood, north of Bacchus Marsh, with its joey nearby. "She was actually still quite mobile, in fact I was terrified that she would get away from me,” he said. After tranquilising the hurt kangaroo, Manfred said its joey came hopping back to its mother and lay down to sleep next to it. Manfred said the kangaroo had been shot with three separate arrows each to separate parts of her body. ”One had actually gone into her abdomen, one arrow went almost clean through her leg, and the worst of the three was an arrow embedded deep into the back of her head,” he said. "If we didn't capture mum and then capture (the joey), she was definitely too small to survive on her own so she would've perished out there as well,” he said. Anyone with information is urged to contact Bacchus Marsh Police on 5366 4500, or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 and www.crimestoppers.com.au. *3AWRadio
This is a fact sheet from QLD TAFE and the fact that they have to have as part of the Q&A this "Will assistance be given to harvesters with reading or writing difficulties?" says it all.
http://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/factsheets/pdf/environment/en19.pdf
Dingoes
Experts to cross-check Fraser Island dingo review. Following the announcement of a scientific review of the Fraser Island Dingo Management Strategy, Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection, Andrew Powell and Hervey Bay MP Ted Sorensen have appointed Professor Hugh Possingham to chair the independent Review Steering Committee. "We have said that this would be an independent, scientific, peer-reviewed process. Professor Possingham and his fellow committee members will carry out the peer-review of the work completed by EcoSure," Mr Powell said. The Review Steering Committee will comprise experts representing a broad spectrum of interests including community consultation, wildlife research and population studies, as well as animal ethics. "Committee members' selection has been based on their widely recognised expertise across these fields and their independence of any previous involvement with the management of dingoes on Fraser Island," Mr Powell said.
Hugh Possingham is Professor of Ecology at the University of Queensland and is respected as one of the world's top ecologists. Prof. Possingham has co-authored 330 refereed publications (including 21 in Science, Nature or Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) and has worked on a range of conservation programs. Prof. Possingham will be joined by Fraser Island World Heritage Area Community Advisory Committee member, Sue Sargent. Sue Sargent is a coastal and marine scientist who has been working in the Wide Bay Burnett since 1997 - the last eight years with natural resource management body, the Burnett Mary Regional Group. Minister Powell said further appointments would be finalised and announced in coming days.
"As we stated last week we have intentionally sought people from across Australia to have a fresh look at the Fraser Island Dingo Management Strategy," Mr Powell said. "I have consistently said I will not be prescriptive on any findings of this independent peer review, but I do have full confidence in the members of this committee to oversee this review with openness and integrity." "We expect that community members, scientists and traditional owners will be able to have their say during this review period and those views will be taken into account along with scientific data and independent research findings." Mr Sorensen said the Newman government will use this review to provide greater certainty around dingo management on Fraser Island. "We will use a science- based approach to ensure the sustainability of this dingo population while maintaining the safety of tourists who visit the island," Mr Sorensen said. The public will be updated as the review progresses with EcoSure set to release its draft report later this year. *Qld Gov. Media Release
A Sydney woman who runs an award-winning pet transport business has been charged with smuggling dingos to the US. Narelle Gail Hammond, who runs Animal Travel in Londonderry, was charged following a sting by federal investigators who have accused the 59-year-old of exporting six dingo pups to the US. She faced the Downing Centre Local Court last week charged with aiding, abetting or procuring the export of a restricted specimen from Australia. Her Animal Travel business is a company, Kenardobe Pty Ltd, which has also been charged with exporting regulated native specimens. The 59-year-old is also accused of acting in tandem with 70-year-old Lynette Olive Watson, who lives on a farm in Toolern Vale, Victoria. Watson also faced court charged with being complicit in the alleged plot to export the dingo pups, court documents said. Investigators from the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities alleged the women attempted to export the dingos over 14 days in January 2010, court documents said. Five months later, the department received a tip-off from a member of the public about the alleged smuggling operation.
In August 2010, officers from the department raided the properties in Londonderry and Victoria and later charged both of the women. Australia is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species treaty, which listed dingoes as a restricted species at the time of the offence. It has since been removed from the restricted list. A statutory declaration tendered to court said Hammond was served with a court attendance notice at the Londonderry business on May 15 detailing the charges laid against her and her company Kenardobe Pty Ltd. The Magistrate, Pat O'Shane, has ordered the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecution to serve its brief of evidence by July 17. When contacted by The Sunday Telegraph on Thursday, Hammond said she didn't know what the charges were and was waiting for her lawyer to be served with the allegations in the brief. The matter continues. * HeraldSun
Our wildlife comes under more attacks from our own Government agencies. As you can read below, an overseas conservation organisation, CITES, lists the Australian dingo as a "restricted" species, even while Australian Government departments aerial drop 1080 poison over vast areas to kill them......but why was the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species Treaty (CITES) restriction lifted in the first place.....was it lifted to facilitate even more 1080 drops?......we can't think of any other reason.....
Dingoes
Please find link below to a wonderful magazine, interesting article and beautiful photos by Jennifer Parkhurst, Click and drag in any direction, Pages 69-70.
http://bareessentialsmagazine.uberflip.com/i/72758/0 * SFID Committee
As we mentioned recently in Wildlife Bytes, a consultancy has been appointed to undertake a review of the Fraser Island Dingo Management Strategy. The Minister assures us that there will be an oppportunity for a range of stakeholders to have input into the Review. See article below.....* WPAA
A Sydney woman who runs an award-winning pet transport business has been charged with smuggling dingos to the US....Read more further down......
GBR
Greenpeace have a Petition to Save the Reef here ... https://www.greenpeace.org.au/action/?cid=26&src=EM
Whales and Whaling
Rescuers have freed a whale trapped in shark nets on the Gold Coast. The humpback was reported snared in nets off Main Beach this morning. A marine animal rescue team from Sea World and the Queensland Boating and Fisheries Patrol responded. The annual whale migration from Antarctica to North Queensland has only just started. Whales regularly become trapped in the shark nets that protect Gold Coast beaches, leading to calls from conservationists for the nets to be removed during the winter migration. But successive Queensland governments have refused to take down the nets for fear it could lead to increased shark attacks. *Courier Mail
Ed Comment; Its actually got nothing to do with "fear it could lead to more shark attacks" but everything to do with the tourism industry, who want the nets to stay to encourage more visitation to the Gold Coast. While the nets are there, there is a perception that its safe to swim there. And of course its not...the nets don't stop the sharks, they can swim around them, or under them. Swim on the Gold Coast...no way hosey.....too much shark bait in the water there.....
If you'd like to write to the Korean Ambassador about Korea's intention to start "scientific" Minke whaling, the address is....... The Ambassador of the Republic of Korea, Cho Tae-Yong, 113 Empire Circuit, Yarralumla, Canberra, A.C.T 2600. The Korean "scientific"hunting of Minke whales, is similar to that run by Japan, but is potentially even more damaging to whales as they will target Minke near the shores of Korea, a small and vulnerable population. Meanwhile a new survey by the National Marine Mammal Laboratory shows that the population of the North Pacific Right Whale has fallen so low that the species is likely to be the first of the great whales to be wiped out by humans. Remnant whales are spread across millions of square km of ocean, and are they too far apart to find each other and breed. * WPAA
Pigeon Virus
New South Wales authorities have found two more cases of a deadly pigeon virus. The state's Department of Primary industries says the paramyxovirus has been found in lofts in Sydney's west and south-west. Four cases have now been confirmed in the city since May, with scores of pigeons having died or been put down. All cases have been linked to an infected bird from Melbourne. Deputy chief veterinary officer Sally Spence says pigeon owners should be vaccinating their birds. She says that unlike the recent outbreak in Victoria, the virus has not spread to feral pigeons. "We're very, very hopeful that won't happen, because obviously once that occurs you've got no control over it," Dr Spence said. "That's why we're so encouraging everybody to vaccinate their birds and then hopefully, the vaccine's not 100 per cent but hopefully, it will just damp the disease down enough that we won't get it spread into the feral pigeon population." *ABC
AZWH Patient of the Week....Wazza the Wompoo Pigeon
Found on the ground at a property in Mt Glorious after a suspected collision with a window, and transported to: The Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital for specialised treatment and care. Dr Amber assessed Wazza and discovered blood in the lungs as a result of the trauma. X-rays confirmed Wazza had luckily not sustained any fractures. Dr Amber administered Wazza with some pain relief and set up a snug enclosure in Birds ICU to aid recovery. After a couple of days in care Wazza was able to fly again, but still had some trouble standing and remaining upright on the perch. Wazza has been transferred to a local wildlife carer for further rehabilitation, and will soon be released back into the wild. AZWH Statistic: So far in 2012, over 30 animals have been admitted due to injuries caused by hitting objects. Stickers on windows are a great idea to help birds see them! *AZWH
National Parks
The Shooters and Fishers Party has claimed national parks will be opened for hunting shortly after Christmas and shooters will be able to operate without close supervision, despite assurances by the government they will be strictly monitored. But the claims have been rejected by the state government, in the latest disagreement over how the policy will be implemented. The government has agreed to open 79 national parks and reserves for recreational hunting of feral animals for the first time as part of a deal to win Shooters and Fishers Party support for its electricity privatisation legislation, which was passed last month. Shortly after the announcement of the plan, the Premier, Barry O'Farrell, told Parliament hunters would be subjected to strict conditions. ''In a sense it is akin to what takes place with hazard burning carried out near to those who live in metropolitan areas that border national parks,'' he said. ''Once or twice a year, even less frequently sometimes, hazard burning takes place for limited periods and it is scientifically designed, well-managed, properly resourced and carried out under strict supervision.'' But in response to concerns raised by its members, the Shooters and Fishers Party has posted a series of questions and answers on its website to address what it terms ''incorrect information'' by the Greens, the National Parks Association and ''others''. The party advises its members: ''It will be as it is in state forests. National parks will not be closed and there will be no close supervision by NP staff.''
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/conservation/shooters-party-calls-shots-on-how-parks-will-handle-hunting-20120709-21qs4.html#ixzz20A3scxJd
Become a Wildlife Warrior
By making a one-off donation or joining our monthly giving program you can become part of a global wildlife force that is working hard to preserve our natural environment. Monthly Giving Program; Sign up to become a regular giver for wildlife conservation! Donations start from as little as $2.50 a week and can go to helping our native wildlife at the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital. Nearly 100 wildlife emergency calls are received every day at the Hospital, Up to 30 different species are admitted to the hospital every day, Currently around 80 koalas undergoing treatment, Approximately 70% of patients are victims of car accidents or domestic pet attacks, The cost to treat one animal ranges from $100 to thousands of dollars To sign up or find out more please visit http://www.wildlifewarriors.org.au *
Marine Rubbish
A turtle with a fish hook in its gut, an owl with a broken wing, a little penguin sliced by a propeller - all injuries caused by the most dangerous animals of all, humans. Most of the time, Libby Hall can patch them up and send them on their way. But the manager of Taronga Wildlife Hospital says the injuries can be prevented. 'We see everything from tiny frogs right through to large leopard seals and everything in between,'' Ms Hall says. Many of the animals treated at the hospital are injured by cars or cats and dogs. Others, such as owls and microbats, are affected by land clearing. But she attributes most of the recent ''dramatic increases'' in animal deaths and injuries, such as turtles and penguins, to marine debris. ''Marine turtles are endangered worldwide and one of the biggest threats is ingestion of plastic,'' Ms Hall says. ''I call it death by plastic.'' While plastic bags were a major problem, Ms Hall says ''there are pieces of plastic right through the animal's intestine''. Other debris is also a problem. ''We see bottle tops, balloons are also common, as well as bait bags, rope, fishing line and fish hooks,'' she says. ''We are having great success treating marine turtles when we can remove the debris but small pieces of plastic are now everywhere in the marine environment.''
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/environment/animals/trauma-in-the-trash-20120707-21nq2.html#ixzz20A4UDUYo
Sealing
Namibia government has put together a task team to deal with negative international publicity surrounding Namibia's annual seal cull and its effect on tourism, especially the country's chances to host the Adventure Tourism World Summit (ATWS) next year. Namibia is one of three countries shortlisted to host the global event, which is expected to lure about 600 players in the adventure tourism industry to the country. Should Namibia be chosen, it will also be the first time the ATWS will take place in Africa. However, shortly after the Adventure Travel Tourism Association (ATTA) sent its inspection team to Namibia in May, anti-sealing activists calling themselves Just for Seals Namibia launched a petition to get the body to reject the country's bid. By yesterday afternoon, 5 557 people around the globe had signed the petition. At a meeting of the tourism industry on Monday, marketers voiced their concern about the anti-sealing campaign, set to start on July 15, and the impact it might have have on tourist bookings. Gitta Paetzold, chief executive officer of the Hospitality Association of Namibia (HAN), yesterday told The Namibian that the consensus at the meeting was that Namibia needed a national strategy on the seal issue. "We all need to convey the same message," she said. Paetzold said Namibia virtually has the ATWS in the bag, and that the seal controversy could be the "only negative". Acting Permanent Secretary of Environment and Tourism Erica Akuenje scheduled the first meeting of the task force for yesterday afternoon. Although the seal cull doesn't fall under her Ministry, the seal issue is used to impact the tourism industry negatively. *Read more .. http://allafrica.com/stories/201207060883.html
Sign the anti-sealing Petition here http://www.thepetitionsite.com/3/stop-seal-hunt-in-namibia/
Flying Foxes
Flying Foxes across the Fraser Coast have left wildlife carers in a flurry after they were called to rescue three bats in a week. Maryborough wildlife carer Natalie Richardson said two of the bats had become stuck in fruit tree netting, while another had been hit by a vehicle. "We do get a lot of callouts to remove bats from netting and fences. "It's important that people do call wildlife carers to remove them, not only because bats can carry a lot of diseases, but because we know how to handle native fauna," Ms Richardson said. The animal lover said Fraser Coast residents who did stumble across an injured bat - or any other animal - should contact their local wildlife carer. "Carers are equipped with all of the right tools to care for injured animals," she said. "We can pick up and care for any animal, except for venomous snakes." The easiest way to get in touch with a wildlife carer was through your vet, Ms Richardson said. "All vets have a list of wildlife carers and RSPCA contacts who can be called to collect injured animals," she said. * Fraser Coast Chronicle
WA River Bandaid
Oxygen will be pumped into stretches of the Canning River at risk of severe algal blooms to keep plants and fish alive. In a move branded as life support for a dying river by the Conservation Council of WA, the State Government will plough $3.4 million into oxygenation systems over the next two years. Funds will go towards two new million-dollar plants, one to be built at Langford next year and another in the river's upper reaches scheduled for 2014. A further $1.4 million will be spent on major upgrades to two existing plants, near Wilson and Ferndale. "Without these oxygen plants, large stretches of the Canning River upstream of the (Kent Street) weir would experience low dissolved oxygen levels for much of the year, making it a potentially hostile environment for much of our aquatic fauna," Environment Minister Bill Marmion said. But CCWA director Piers Verstegen said oxygenating the rivers artificially was a bandaid measure that did not address the causes of their poor health, including nutrients from agricultural fertilisers.
Low oxygen levels can cause a build-up of nutrients, including nitrogen and phosphorus, leading to algal blooms that can result in mass fish deaths. The oxygenation plants take water from the bottom of the river, super-saturate it with oxygen under pressure and pipe it back. Jorg Imberger, director of the University of WA's Centre for Water Research, said oxygen levels were almost zero at 1-2m below the surface between Bassendean and Point Walter. "The plants do some good within a small area, but for the river overall it does no good at all to put these things in," Professor Imberger said. "The river is dead for something like 40-50km and you're saving a kilometre at most per installation." Mr Marmion said that the oxygenation plants provided "a more immediate and localised improvement in water quality" while other river improvement programs took effect. * thewest.com.au
Logging
The retail giant Harvey Norman has been accused of selling flooring made from native forests in NSW where koalas face extinction following an investigation by environmental activists who tracked timber harvested in prime koala habitat. The environment group Markets For Change said its investigation found Harvey Norman buys timber flooring from forests recognised as critical habitat for koalas in NSW and sells it as part of its "Naturally Australian" flooring range. Markets for Change tracked timber harvested by Forests NSW from Boambee State Forest, considered prime koala habitat, to a sawmill in Koolkhan owned by Boral Limited, Australia's largest building and construction materials company.
The sawn timber from Boral's sawmill in Koolkhan was then transported to a flooring manufacturing mill where Boral produces Harvey Norman's Naturally Australian flooring range, the group said. 'Harvey Norman claims its Naturally Australian flooring products are sourced from 'sustainable and renewable natural resources' when instead they are contributing to the destruction of Australia's native forests and destroying vital koala habitat,'' the group's report, to be released today, says. 'Markets for Change calls on Harvey Norman to phase out selling products made from native forests … [and] to give their customers clear and accurate information about the source of their wood products.''
The report says figures from the Australian Koala Foundation reveal there may be as few as 43,000 koalas remaining in the wild and warns logging forests is a leading threat to koalas. 'This report establishes clear links between this endangered koala habitat, the forest companies that are logging and processing it, and Australia's largest furniture and electronics retailer, Harvey Norman,'' the report says. The group's campaign manager, Louise Morris, said Harvey Norman had a unique opportunity to show leadership. "Customers are increasingly demanding to know where their products come from and will vote with their wallets if a product is being sold at the expense of the natural environment,'' Ms Morris said. "It makes environmental and economic sense for Harvey Norman to shift to become a truly sustainable and responsible retailer by implementing publicly available procurement policies that ensure customers are no longer misled about the true story behind the products they buy." Harvey Norman was contacted for a comment but did not wish to respond. *Age
Kangaroos
Forget Skippy the Bush Kangaroo - a large mob of eastern grey roos has made itself well at home in suburban Maryborough. While Granville's St Mungo Plantation Park has long been a haunt for the animals, their numbers have increased in the wake of recent rains. "Some days there's six and sometimes there's more than 15 - it depends on the weather," Granville woman Paula Davies said. "Sometimes they stay all day, and jump the fence to get into the school or come right up to the houses to eat the grass." She said while most people left the animals alone, they were sometimes chased by children or off-leash dogs - an action she feared could end in injury to a child or a roo. "Some kids will chase them right down to the scout hall," Ms Davies said. "I've heard of places where kangaroos have swung at kids, and there's a two-metre buck that could really do some damage."
Fraser Coast TESS Wildlife Sanctuary curator Ray Revill said the wet weather meant more kangaroos than usual had been hopping around in well-populated areas. "Because of the recent rain, the grass is not in good condition, so they've gone to where the better grass is," Mr Revill said. He was able to get within metres of the Granville mob, as the kangaroos had become accustomed to people. Despite any risks of passing cars or dogs or children, Mr Revill said the best plan was to leave them be. He warned people to stay clear of them, avoid feeding them and that the animals would defend themselves if they felt threatened. "The buck will growl and rake at the ground with his front paws if he thinks you're too close to him or one of his women," Mr Revill said. * Fraser Coast Chronicle
Organisers of a fund set up to find those responsible for the mutilation of a kangaroo in a Bendigo car park are calling for final tip-offs to track down the culprit. The trust fund account has attracted more than $4000 in donations after being set up as a reward for information leading to charges. BLS Financial Services managing director Adam Mackenzie set up the account and said he wanted anyone with information about the April 27 incident to come forward as soon as possible. He said at the end of the month the funds would be given to whoever gave the initial tip-off or, if no charges have been laid, more discussions would be held over whether to donate the money to the Wildlife Rescue Emergency Service. “The idea was to flush out the person, but we realised people also have a right to know who gave the tip off, who claimed the money and who didn’t claim the money,” he said. The call comes as the Department of Sustainability and Environment continues its ongoing investigation into the incident. DSE compliance acting program manager Shaun Burke said they were looking into alleged offences under the Wildlife Act and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Mr Burke said the DSE was now leading the investigation after Bendigo police conducted a number of interviews over the kangaroo killing. Mr Mackenzie said the mutilation of the kangaroo has generated a huge response from the community. “There’s been an incredible amount of interest and generosity with people reaching into their own pockets,” he said. Australian Social Network Marketing director Tom Bailey, who originally put forward $500 and got the idea started, said he received about 20 emails with information, mostly pointing to one name. He said other emails had been sent to his account offering support and encouragement. “It’s been really well received in the community, I got a lot of emails, not necessarily from people with information, just saying it was a good initiative,” he said. “The only thing that disappointed me was that some people specified they were only doing it for the money. I had one person say this couldn’t have come at a better time, because he needed to fix his car.”
Mr Bailey said he’d like to see the money donated to WRES if there was no charges laid or no one could claim the fund. WRES co-founder Jo Lyall said the account was separate to the work of the organisation and any donation would be that person’s choice. “It’s entirely up to the individuals, it’s not something we raised,” she said. “In the event that it doesn’t go to someone, then if they want their money back we have no problem with that whatsoever. They’ve put that money in in good faith.” Ms Lyall said the kangaroo incident had a broad affect on the community and needed a swift response. “As a community we’re not going to tolerate it,” she said. “It’s an utterly unnecessary act and there needs to be an example made of the person responsible. “There’s got to be a precedent set to deter the next lot that think of doing it.” *BendigoAdvertiser
A wildlife rescue worker who found a mother kangaroo with three arrows embedded in her body has no doubt it was an act of animal cruelty. Speaking with Derryn Hinch, Manfred Zabinskas from Five Freedoms Animal Rescue said he found the wounded kangaroo in Blackwood, north of Bacchus Marsh, with its joey nearby. "She was actually still quite mobile, in fact I was terrified that she would get away from me,” he said. After tranquilising the hurt kangaroo, Manfred said its joey came hopping back to its mother and lay down to sleep next to it. Manfred said the kangaroo had been shot with three separate arrows each to separate parts of her body. ”One had actually gone into her abdomen, one arrow went almost clean through her leg, and the worst of the three was an arrow embedded deep into the back of her head,” he said. "If we didn't capture mum and then capture (the joey), she was definitely too small to survive on her own so she would've perished out there as well,” he said. Anyone with information is urged to contact Bacchus Marsh Police on 5366 4500, or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 and www.crimestoppers.com.au. *3AWRadio
This is a fact sheet from QLD TAFE and the fact that they have to have as part of the Q&A this "Will assistance be given to harvesters with reading or writing difficulties?" says it all.
http://www.ehp.qld.gov.au/factsheets/pdf/environment/en19.pdf
Dingoes
Experts to cross-check Fraser Island dingo review. Following the announcement of a scientific review of the Fraser Island Dingo Management Strategy, Minister for Environment and Heritage Protection, Andrew Powell and Hervey Bay MP Ted Sorensen have appointed Professor Hugh Possingham to chair the independent Review Steering Committee. "We have said that this would be an independent, scientific, peer-reviewed process. Professor Possingham and his fellow committee members will carry out the peer-review of the work completed by EcoSure," Mr Powell said. The Review Steering Committee will comprise experts representing a broad spectrum of interests including community consultation, wildlife research and population studies, as well as animal ethics. "Committee members' selection has been based on their widely recognised expertise across these fields and their independence of any previous involvement with the management of dingoes on Fraser Island," Mr Powell said.
Hugh Possingham is Professor of Ecology at the University of Queensland and is respected as one of the world's top ecologists. Prof. Possingham has co-authored 330 refereed publications (including 21 in Science, Nature or Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences) and has worked on a range of conservation programs. Prof. Possingham will be joined by Fraser Island World Heritage Area Community Advisory Committee member, Sue Sargent. Sue Sargent is a coastal and marine scientist who has been working in the Wide Bay Burnett since 1997 - the last eight years with natural resource management body, the Burnett Mary Regional Group. Minister Powell said further appointments would be finalised and announced in coming days.
"As we stated last week we have intentionally sought people from across Australia to have a fresh look at the Fraser Island Dingo Management Strategy," Mr Powell said. "I have consistently said I will not be prescriptive on any findings of this independent peer review, but I do have full confidence in the members of this committee to oversee this review with openness and integrity." "We expect that community members, scientists and traditional owners will be able to have their say during this review period and those views will be taken into account along with scientific data and independent research findings." Mr Sorensen said the Newman government will use this review to provide greater certainty around dingo management on Fraser Island. "We will use a science- based approach to ensure the sustainability of this dingo population while maintaining the safety of tourists who visit the island," Mr Sorensen said. The public will be updated as the review progresses with EcoSure set to release its draft report later this year. *Qld Gov. Media Release
A Sydney woman who runs an award-winning pet transport business has been charged with smuggling dingos to the US. Narelle Gail Hammond, who runs Animal Travel in Londonderry, was charged following a sting by federal investigators who have accused the 59-year-old of exporting six dingo pups to the US. She faced the Downing Centre Local Court last week charged with aiding, abetting or procuring the export of a restricted specimen from Australia. Her Animal Travel business is a company, Kenardobe Pty Ltd, which has also been charged with exporting regulated native specimens. The 59-year-old is also accused of acting in tandem with 70-year-old Lynette Olive Watson, who lives on a farm in Toolern Vale, Victoria. Watson also faced court charged with being complicit in the alleged plot to export the dingo pups, court documents said. Investigators from the Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities alleged the women attempted to export the dingos over 14 days in January 2010, court documents said. Five months later, the department received a tip-off from a member of the public about the alleged smuggling operation.
In August 2010, officers from the department raided the properties in Londonderry and Victoria and later charged both of the women. Australia is a signatory to the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species treaty, which listed dingoes as a restricted species at the time of the offence. It has since been removed from the restricted list. A statutory declaration tendered to court said Hammond was served with a court attendance notice at the Londonderry business on May 15 detailing the charges laid against her and her company Kenardobe Pty Ltd. The Magistrate, Pat O'Shane, has ordered the Commonwealth Department of Public Prosecution to serve its brief of evidence by July 17. When contacted by The Sunday Telegraph on Thursday, Hammond said she didn't know what the charges were and was waiting for her lawyer to be served with the allegations in the brief. The matter continues. * HeraldSun
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