Endangered petrels and trawl fishing clash in Tasman sea

Date:  April 25, 2018

Source:  American Ornithological Society Publications Office

Summary:

Today's shifting environmental conditions are creating an uncertain future for many top predators in marine ecosystems, but to protect the key habitat of a species, you first have to know where that habitat is and what threats might be affecting it. A new study from The Condor: Ornithological Applications looks at where New Zealand's endangered Westland Petrel forages during its breeding season and shows that its range overlaps more with trawl fishing activity than conservationists realized.

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Forest and Bird says more needs to be done for Northland kauri

Forest and Bird and the Northland Regional Council will work together to improve wording on the council's Regional Pest Management Plan following an Environment Court ruling. 

The interim decision by the court in February called for the two groups to work together to produce the final wording for the plan - focusing on an effective strategy which could help prevent the spread of kauri dieback. 

Phytophthora agathidicida (PA) is the pathogen which causes kauri dieback and can be spread through a pinhead of soil. The microscopic spores attach themselves to kauri roots, leech nutrients and starve the tree to death - there is no cure for the disease and its origin is unknown.

Forest and Bird Northland conservation advocate Dean Baigent-Mercer says while the plan relates to private land, further steps need to be taken to protect kauri on public land. 

"The two highest risks in spreading kauri dieback in Northland are where there's people moving mud around on their feet like the Te Araroa national walkway and DOC tracks," Baigent-Mercer says. 

"The other situation is where hunters take pigs or piglets from one spot that happens to be infected with kauri dieback and release them in another area and spread the invisible disease."

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Daintree research centre to save endangered cassowaries

Peter Michael, The Courier-Mail

February 21, 2018 2:00pm

THE Daintree’s endangered cassowaries – under threat from pigs, dogs, cars and crocodiles – may be thrown the lifeline of a new research and breeding facility in the world’s oldest rainforest.

Douglas Shire Council has ordered a feasibility study into how to protect the dwindling population of the iconic flightless bird, a popular tourist drawcard, in the jungles of far north Queensland.

Every year hundreds of southern cassowaries, a throwback to the dinosaur era, are killed or injured, and baby chicks orphaned.

Today it is estimated as few as 1500 birds still survive in the wild in Australia.

“We’re firmly dedicated to protecting our cassowaries,’’ Douglas Mayor Julia Leu said.

“I think it is time we at least look at the feasibility of building one (a cassowary facility) in the Daintree Rainforest.’’

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