6 May
2006 - The release of the 2006 Red List of Threatened
Species last week by the World Conservation Union
(IUCN) shows continued action is required to protect
threatened species around the world, the Australian
Minister for the Environment and Heritage, Senator
Ian Campbell, said today.
Senator Campbell welcomed the
publication of the bi-annual report and said the
Australian Government had recently renewed its
membership to the IUCN.
The report notes that Australia
is among four countries with a high number of
threatened species compared to other regions.
"The results for Australia
is not surprising and must be seen in context,"
Senator Campbell said.
"Australia, Brazil, China and Mexico are
mega-diverse countries, which means these countries
cover less than 10 per cent of the global surface
but have more than 70 per cent of the world's
biodiversity," Senator Campbell said.
"Australia has over one
million species of plants, animals and micro-organisms,
which is an extremely large number compared with
other continents. For example, it is twice as
many as the estimated number of species in Europe
and North America combined. More than 80 per cent
of our plants and animals are unique and found
only in Australia."
While Australia is listed as
having 639 species threatened (excluding the external
territories), this includes species in a number
of different categories such as critically endangered,
endangered, vulnerable and near-threatened.
Senator Campbell said the Australian
Government was working in partnership with state,
territory and local governments, non-government
organisations, tertiary institutions and community
groups to ensure the protection of our native
species.
"The Australian Government
is investing in a wide range of activities to
restore and conserve Australia's environment and
natural resources through the $3 billion Natural
Heritage Trust (NHT). Since 1997 the Australian
Government has invested over $45 million from
the NHT in threatened species research and recovery,"
he said.
Australia's nationally threatened
species are listed under the Environment Protection
and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Recovery plans
are then prepared for listed threatened species,
which set out the research and management actions
necessary to stop the decline, and promote the
recovery, of listed threatened species. Recovery
plans for over 700 threatened species and ecological
communities are in place or in development.
"This work is clearly bearing
fruit, as the number of Australian species in
some threatened categories fell between 1996 and
2006. And some species have moved to less critical
categories," Senator Campbell said.
"For instance, Abbott's
Booby, listed as Critically Endangered on the
IUCN Red List in 2004, is recovering thanks to
conservation measures and has now moved down a
category to Endangered.
"However, it is clear we need to continue
to take actions and decisions which assist in
the recovery of our endangered species. The Orange-bellied
Parrot, for example, is still listed as critically
endangered by the IUCN," he said.
Australia is at the forefront
of protecting our marine species and work in this
area includes recently announced new world-leading
marine protected parks in south-east Australia.
The Australian Government's
national reserve system also helps protect our
threatened plant and animal life through conservation
of our terrestrial environment. The national reserve
system has helped to purchase 22 properties across
Australia containing 122 different types of vegetation,
31 threatened or near threatened plant communities
and a number of rare animals.
