AUSTRALIA: Australia, which is under extreme environmental strain, has pledged to protect at least 30% of its land and has established a goal of zero extinction for its rare plants and animals.
Tanya Plibersek, the minister for the environment and water, revealed the Threatened Species Action Plan: Towards Zero Extinctions on Tuesday. She said the plan, which costs 224.5 million Australian dollars ($145.9 million), provides a pathway for the conservation and recovery of threatened species over the next ten years.
As per the government’s five-yearly environmental report card, which was published in July, Australia has lost more mammal species than any other continent and has one of the highest rates of species decline among the world’s richest nations.
That report revealed an increase of, on average, 8% from the previous report in 2016 in the number of species added to the list of threatened species or in a higher category of risk.
“It has never been more important to take action to save our ecosystems, plants, and creatures from extinction,” according to a statement from Plibersek.
Plibersek claimed that by giving 110 species and 20 locations priority, the amount of land maintained for conservation would grow by 50 million hectares, 2027 will mark the review of the 10-year strategy.
Australia, which is the sixth-largest nation in the world by geographical area, is the only place where special wildlife like koalas and platypus can be found. However, their populations have been dwindling as a result of harsh weather and human encroachment into their habitats.
Nature experts calculated that Australia had lost nearly 30% of its koala population over the past four years, leading to the listing of koalas along a large portion of the east coast as endangered in February.
Anthony Albanese, Australia’s prime minister, tweeted about the Target of Zero New Extensions “Koalas bring in people from all over the world, and it’s not hard to see why. But right now they’re endangered in parts of our country, like so many other animals and plants after a decade of neglect. “
“That’s why we’ve set a target of zero new extinctions. It’s the strongest target Australia’s ever had – but without urgent action, we could lose these endangered species forever.” He continued.
Conservative Measures
The organisation demands, among other actions, that the government stop approving dangerous fossil fuel projects and that land removal and deforestation end.
Wild animals have suffered greatly as a result of extreme climate events like the bushfires that ravaged southeastern Australia in late 2019 and early 2020.
According to the World Wide Fund for Nature-Australia, three billion animals, including frogs and mammals, were in the path of the flames. A later examination revealed that the fires claimed the lives of almost 60,000 koalas. In February, the species status of the creatures was declared endangered.
The World Wildlife Fund (WWF)-Australia applauded the administration’s conservation efforts but asked them to take more steps by funding time-bound recovery strategies for each threatened species.
“More than 1,900 vulnerable species are found in Australia. The system predicts 110 wins. It is unclear how it will benefit our other threatened species that are not considered to be of high concern,” Chief conservation officer for WWF-Australia, Rachel Lowry, stated.
Plibersek stated in her statement that impartial scientists had assisted in identifying the species and locations for priority support based on factors such as the risk of extinction, numerous benefits, and uniqueness.
The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act list of threatened species has been expanded to include 15 species, three ecological communities, and four species that were previously in a lower threat category.
Also Read: India to Focus on Local Birds and Animals in Zoos as Priority Species for Conservation
