BirdLife Tasmania today joined other leading conservation organisations in
rejecting the proposed changes to the management of the Tasmanian
Wilderness World Heritage Area by the Tasmanian Government, and
recommended a completely new approach was required.
BirdLife Tasmania’s submission to the Tasmanian Government highlighted
the increased pressures endangered birds species present in the World
Heritage Area would face that could push some species to extinction.
Dr Eric Woehler, Convenor of BirdLife Tasmania said that, “the entire global
population of Orange-bellied Parrots, fewer than 70 birds in the wild, only
breed in the WHA, and increased development and commercial tourism
activities will see greater pressures on the remaining birds”.
Dr Woehler added that, “logging, mining and additional infrastructure in the
WHA will fragment and destroy critical bird breeding and feeding habitats”.
“There are populations of our endemic birds – found nowhere else on Planet
Earth – present in the WHA in internationally-significant numbers, and the
proposed changes to the management of the WHA are unacceptable to the
national and international conservation communities” Dr Woehler said.
“The Tasmanian Government is obliged to protect the natural and cultural
values present in the WHA, rather than providing an open door to commercial
operations”.
“A Management Plan is supposed to reduce the risks to Endangered species,
not put extra pressure on them!” Dr Woehler concluded.
BirdLife Tasmania will provide its submission to their national and
international conservation partners to raise the alarm on the increased threats
to the WHA.
Download submission …
BirdLife_Tasmania_TW_WHA_submission.pdf
Dr Eric Woehler, Convenor of BirdLife Tasmania
