Tasmanian species on the brink of extinction have today lost their federally funded recovery plans despite the Federal Government being well aware that these critical plans expired today.
This includes recovery plans for some of Tasmania’s most iconic birds, such as the critically endangered swift parrot, the forty-spotted pardalote, King Island brown thornbill, King Island scrubtit as well as the Wedge-tailed Eagle.
The King Island brown thornbill, the scrubtit and the swift parrot are ranked first, third and thirteenth on the list of Australian birds most likely to become extinct in the next 20 years.
As stated by Greens Senator for lutruwita/Tasmania, Peter Whish-Wilson:
“Not only has the Government failed to successfully implement new recovery plans for some of Tasmania’s most precious species, it is now shamelessly giving up on even appearing to care for them at all.
“This is a new low. By the Government’s own definition recovery plans set out the research and management actions necessary to stop the decline of, and support the recovery of, listed threatened species or threatened ecological communities. The very aim of a recovery plan is to maximise the long-term survival in the wild of a threatened species.
“Overlooking recovery plans of critically endangered species is equivalent to giving them a death sentence.
“This comes just days after the Federal Government handed down its environment-wrecking Budget, which includes millions for deregulating and fast-tracking Australia’s environmental processes.
“The King Island brown thornbill and scrubtit contribute to making places like King Island so unique. Scrapping their recovery plan is an act of contempt and is an assault on the island’s character.
“The extinction of these species is entirely preventable – but it depends upon government support.”
