New national plan to save island threatened species welcomed
28 Mar 2006
A new national plan to eradicate and control one of the biggest threats to native species on our islands - rats - has been welcomed by WWF.
"One of the cheapest and most effective ways to secure many threatened species from extinction is to eradicate rats from key Australian islands," says Andreas Glanznig, WWF Senior Policy Adviser.
"To date the important conservation role of Australia's islands has been undervalued."
The Australian Government has listed rats on off-shore islands as a key threat to native species under its national biodiversity law - the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act - in response to a submission by WWF.
Invasive animals such as rats have had a devastating impact on island native animals and are the major cause of island extinctions.
Rats have already caused the extinction of two sub-species of birds on Norfolk Island and five sub-species of birds on Lord Howe Island, and continue to threaten the white-bellied storm petrel and Norfolk Island green parrot, as well as several unique lizard species.
A recent study found that eradicating rats and mice from Lord Howe Island would cost less than $1 million. Over 30 years, eradication would save nearly $6 million over current control methods.
Eradication of rats from Australia's key islands, where feasible, would automatically remove the biggest threat to a range of bird, reptile and insect species. This would also enable the reintroduction of the Lord Howe Island phasmid, which was until recently thought to be extinct but found to be surviving on neighbouring Balls Pyramid.
"Eradicating rats from invaded islands that contain unique wildlife of national and international importance can deliver a huge conservation result without costing the Earth," says Mr Glanznig.
Find out more
Charlie Stevens, Press Officer, WWF-Australia
Phone: 02 8202 1274
Mobile: 0424 649 689
Email: cstevens@wwf.org.au
Andreas Glanznig, Senior Policy Adviser, WWF-Australia
Phone: 02 8202 1228
Mobile: 0417 020 174
Email: aglanznig@wwf.org.au
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