22/07/2005 - The Australian
Government will spend $4.35 million helping
to protect the habitats of some of the Asia-Pacific
region’s most threatened species, the Minister
for the Environment and Heritage, Senator
Ian Campbell, announced today.
He said the funding would go to 15 regional
conservation ‘hotspots’.
“These ‘hotspot’ areas are the homes of many
threatened species, such as Asian elephants
in Cambodia, coral reefs in the Bismarck Sea,
and Sumatran rhinos and tigers,” Senator Campbell
said. “Without these habitats their survival
is in jeopardy.”
New projects funded under this second round
of the three-year, $10 million Regional Natural
Heritage Programme, aim to:
control the spread of invasive species in
key biodiversity sites in Polynesia and Micronesia
($1.5m to Conservation International)
protect the heart of the Indonesia’s Coral
Triangle by supporting the management of six
marine protected areas ($500,000 to The Nature
Conservancy)
establish the Sovi Basin Nature Reserve which
will lead to the long-term conservation of
Fiji's richest and most important forest lands
($399,300 to Conservation International)
conserve the Annamite Range in Laos and Cambodia
through controlling illegal timber harvesting
and developing livelihood alternatives ($285,000
to IUCN Asia Programme)
prevent extinction of the world’s 60 remaining
Cat Ba or Golden Headed Langurs and their
habitat in Hai Phong Province, Vietnam ($202
097 to Australian Foundation for the Peoples
of Asia and the Pacific Pty Ltd)
save Samoa’s critically endangered bird species,
the Samoan honeyeater and the tooth-billed
pigeon ($200,000 to the Wildlife Conservation
Society)
work with the community and local legislation
to protect East Timor’s area of highest biodiversity,
and work towards creating its first national
park ($193,000 to Birdlife International)
save Fiji’s forest hotspots by preventing
logging, developing management plans, increasing
legal protection, educating the community
and developing livelihood alternatives ($180,000
to Birdlife International)
protect Sumatra’s orangutan through establishing
two orangutan protection units in the Bukit
Tigapulah National Park and monitoring and
deterring illegal logging ($62,756 to the
Australian Orangutan Project)
“The projects being funded though this programme
demonstrate Australia’s commitment to both
the environment and our regional neighbours,”
Senator Campbell said.
