Greens Deputy Leader, Christine Milne has been joined by members of the scientific and Tasmanian community in calling for the Tasmanian devil to be upgraded from endangered to critically endangered.
“I am concerned last year’s decision by the Threatened Species Scientific Committee to list the Tasmanian devil as endangered under the EPBC Act is based on information that doesn’t consider the impact of building a road through the Tarkine region.”
“The research used for the committee’s decision predicts extinction within 25-35 years, but this doesn’t take into consideration the threat of a road ploughing through the final major area of disease free devil habitat.”
“I have written to the Minister for Environment, Peter Garrett with new peer reviewed evidence which cites the catastrophic effect of diseased devils entering a healthy system such as the Tarkine.”
“It demonstrates what can happen in clear felled areas poisoned with 1080, where unusually large congregations of devils gather and fight over poisoned meat and carrion.”
“It is well known that devils have a high resistance to 1080 poison, but this research shows the catastrophic effect of drawing a large concentration of devils to an area littered with food. The results are an explosion of DFTD transmission through increased aggressiveness and facial biting. So opening the Tarkine to just one diseased devil may result in the extinction of this iconic marsupial.”
“I therefore call on the Minister to consider the consequences of approving this environmentally destructive road.”
“Already devil numbers have declined faster and greater than other animals on the EPBC’s critically endangered list. The Southern bent-winged bat, for example, has suffered a 67 percent decline over 15 years. The Tasmanian devil by comparison has declined by 70 percent over 13 years, and has reduced its numbers by six percent in just one year.”
“Minister Garrett must remember that if nominations for upgrading the devil’s status are successful, the next step is extinction. Is this the legacy he wants associated with his name and department?”
In order to change status, the Minister must first nominate a ‘conservation theme’ applicable to a species habitat before a short period where public nominations are then forwarded to the Threatened Species Scientific Committee. Senator Milne has requested that the Minister open a theme applicable to devil habitat.
Hamade et al 2009 (3).pdf
Senator Christine Milne
