Save the Tassie Devil

The Tasmanian Greens today called for tripartite support to restore the $5 million federal funding cuts to the Save the Devil program.

Greens Primary Industries spokesperson Kim Booth MP called for both State Labor and Liberal parties to match this commitment and take on lobbying their Federal counterparts to restore funding to the Devil Program based at the Mount Pleasant Laboratories.

“The Tasmanian Greens will not give up on the Tasmanian Devil and today we are announcing our election commitment to fight to have federal funding restored to save the Tasmanian Devil and restore Mt Pleasant research facilities,” said Mr Booth.

“The so-called lifeline of a one off $3.2 million that was thrown by the Abbott government earlier this year was cynically done at the same time as they pulled the rug under an annual $5 million federal contribution.”

“A one-off $3.2 million funding commitment will not keep the research at Mt Pleasant going.”

“The Greens will keep lobbying for the full annual $5 million federal contribution to be restored, and we are calling on both Labor and Liberal parties to also make this an election commitment.”

“In October last year I asked Minister Wightman whether jobs would be lost at Mt Pleasant as a result of funding cuts to Save the Devil program.”

“Minister Wightman hedged the question and wouldn’t give a direct response to parliament.”

“We now know that jobs will be lost from Launceston’s Mt Pleasant research facility. With them go the critical skills required to cure the cancer that has already wiped out an estimated 85% of the Devil population.”

“Giving up on Mt Pleasant is tantamount to giving up on the saving the wild populations of the Tasmanian Devil.”

“A vaccine against the Devil Facial Tumour Disease (DFTD) is a real possibility. Securing the recovery of the Devil relies on continuing to pursue this avenue as well as insurance populations. Indeed insurance populations being released into the wild may only succeed in the long-term if they can be vaccinated against the disease.”

“Ongoing research for a vaccine for the Tasmanian Devil is also informing future species conservation efforts and human cancer research. All of it is reliant on maintaining the vital genetic bank of information at Mt Pleasant Laboratory.”

“Representatives from American zoos and researchers from the University of Sydney estimate that the wild Devil will be extinct within 25 years if we don’t do something about it.”

“The dedicated scientists and technicians at Mt Pleasant, expert in a range of disciplines, provide a world-class service and since midway through 2003 have taken a leading role in investigating the Tasmanian Devil facial tumour disease,” Mr Booth said.
Greens Primary Industries spokesperson Kim Booth