Biodiversity Preservation Takes a Step in the Right Direction with the Australian Government’s Threatened Species Strategy
Australia is home to a mega diversity of flora and fauna! Unfortunately, these same native species face one of the highest extinction rates in the whole world, and the horrifying Black Summer bushfires of 2019-2020 have exacerbated the threat to many of these species.
Under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) there are over 1,910 species listed as threatened, and a large portion of this number are plant species. In fact, there are more than 1,300 known threatened plant species that are currently at risk of extinction! To top it off, more than 85 ecological communities that support the healthy functioning of our environment are also listed as threatened.
To help curb the loss of our precious species, the Australian Government has recently released a 10-year strategy to guide the protection efforts of these species.
“Our human footprint, feral pests and weeds, our changing climate and biosecurity hazards present an enormous threat to a growing range of native species and this strategy is at the heart of caring for our country, for its biodiversity and for our future,” Minister Ley said.
The new Strategy places importance on a diversity of species not previously protected including some freshwater, amphibian, reptile and marine species. Also new in the strategy, a stronger focus on protecting habitats and ecological communities.
All species or ecological communities listed as threatened under the EPBC Act will now require conservation advice and some species will require a recovery plan. If you would like to learn more about some of our native threatened species and the on-ground conservation projects that you can be a part of, Natura Pacific’s docu-series “Back from the Brink” is available to view at https://www.natura-pacific.com/category/video/
Natura Pacific is here to help…
The team at Natura Pacific offers a wide range of services. Our flora and fauna experts can help with biodiversity and ecological assessments, environmental protection plans, threatened species assessment and monitoring, fauna spotter catching and nestbox installation.
To find out how the new Threatened Species Strategy affects you, our experienced team of consultants are readily available to assist you in navigating the legislative requirements of your project, it’s what we do best!
Call us on 1300 318 720 or email us at
info@natura-pacific.com
For a full list of our consulting services check out our website at
https://www.natura-pacific.com/consulting/
Related links and resources:
https://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/publications/strategy-home
https://minister.awe.gov.au/ley/media-releases/national-strategy-protect-threatened-species
http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/conservation-advices
http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/recovery-plans
