02/02/2005 - Protecting
wetlands is a high priority for the Australian
Government in the fight to conserve Australia's
water birds, the Minister for the Environment
and Heritage, Senator Ian Campbell, said
today.
Marking World Wetlands Day with the launch
of The State of Australia's Birds 2004:
Water, Wetlands and Birds at the Western
Australian Wetlands Management Conference
at Bibra Lake, Senator Campbell said wetland
birds across Australia had been particularly
hard hit by drought.
“Many of our major wetlands are in trouble,
and their decline spells trouble for water
birds,” he said.
“This report by Birds Australia, supported
by the Natural Heritage Trust, highlights
how species like the nationally threatened
Australian Painted Snipe depend on a network
of wetlands to survive.
“Protecting water birds means conserving
and protecting their habitat, which is why
I am pleased to announce further funding
of $60,000 today for the Peel-Harvey System.
The system is part of WA's Peel-Yalgorup
Ramsar wetland — a vital area that supports
more than 20,000 waterbirds.”
The $60,000 announced today as part of
the Natural Heritage Trust's Coastal Catchments
Initiative is in addition to the $1.6 million
already committed to protect water quality
in the Peel-Harvey System. Under the national
Coastal Catchments Initiatives, water quality
improvement plans are being developed to
improve coastal wetland ecosystems throughout
Australia.
Congratulating authors Dr Penny Olsen and
Dr Michael Weston, Senator Campbell said
The State of Australia's Birds acknowledged
that the Australian Government was taking
the lead on the critical issue of water
reform, and was also working closely with
countries in the region to protect internationally
migratory birds and their habitats.
“This report provides vital information
for us to better target conservation efforts
and funding,” he said.
World Wetlands Day (WWD) is celebrated each
year on 2 February to mark the anniversary
of the signing of the Convention on Wetlands
(Ramsar Convention) in Ramsar, Iran in 1971.
This year's theme is Cultural and Biological
Diversity of Wetlands.
