The island-continent says it wants to do more to protect its wildlife. Australia on Tuesday listed 15 new endangered species, including a small kangaroo, and pledged to prevent the total disappearance of animal and plant species.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government has announced a new ten-year plan to try to stop the extinction of 110 “priority species” and protect 20 “priority places” from further degradation.
The goal is to prevent further extinction of plant or animal species while preserving at least 30% of Australia’s land mass.
Animals threatened by fires and drought
Among the fifteen species recently classified as threatened are the small Parma wallaby -threatened by forest fires and predators-, the poisonous Queensland gray snake, or a small wingless grasshopper called in English “grasshopper-phosphorus”, vulnerable to drought and the frequent bushes. fires
Many species unique to Australia are finding their existence challenged as their habitats shrink due to human activities and extreme events, such as the 2019-2020 bushfires, biodiversity conservation groups say.
These devastating fires have burned 5.8 million hectares in eastern Australia and have caused the death or displacement of between 1 and 3 billion animals.
“The forest fires (2019-2020) in particular have had devastating consequences for many species. We are determined to give wildlife a better chance,” Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek said.
Classify to better protect
“Classifying species as endangered by law…is a crucial step in protecting species and people in need of emergency assistance.”
Listing a species as endangered gives it protection under Australia’s Conservation Act.
“Currently, [les koalas] they are endangered in parts of our country, like so many other animals and plants, after a decade of neglect,” tweeted the Australian prime minister, citing one of the country’s iconic animals, considered endangered since February .
Wildlife groups have praised the government’s push to prevent the extinction of new species of animals and plants.
The goal “is ambitious but essential to empower future generations of Australians to (meet) animals such as koalas, mountain mouse possums, sugar gliders and red-headed cockatoos,” said Basha Stasak of Australian Conservation. Foundation.
“Stopping the destruction of wildlife habitats is key to achieving this goal.”
Researchers have estimated the cost of tackling species extinction in Australia at $1 billion a year, according to Basha Stasak.
Source: BFM TV
