Author: WWF-Australia Latest News

Today’s decision to approve the $82.5 million port expansion at Fisherman’s Landing in Gladstone is disastrous for the area’s threatened dugongs and rare inshore dolphins.

The Fisherman’s Landing Northern Expansion Project will bury critical sea grass habitat within a designated dugong sanctuary under tonnes of mud and rock, and will have a major impact on the region’s coastal ecosystems.

“The local dugong population at Gladstone depends entirely on sea grass meadows, a fact that was recognised in the declaration of the Rodd’s Bay Dugong Protected Area in 2002,” said Lydia Gibson, WWF’s Tropical Marine Species Manager.

“This development will smother a large area of these sea grass meadows under a thick layer of mud and rock, and remove this critical habitat forever.”

The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species classifies dugongs as ‘vulnerable to extinction’ at a global scale, and Australian tropical waters are considered one of the species’ last strongholds.

WWF has been urging governments to conduct an overarching Strategic Environmental Assessment under section 146 of the EPBC Act to adequately address cumulative impacts in the Curtis Island Gladstone Port Region. This has not happened.

The area is also home to the rare Indo-Pacific humpback dolphin, which is particularly vulnerable to local threats. The loss of just a few individuals could see this local population disappear.

“There are over 100 major coastal developments proposed for the Queensland region. Without a strategic approach to managing the impacts on wildlife, it will be death by a thousand cuts for marine turtles, inshore dolphins and dugongs,” Ms Gibson said.

“If the Queensland Government is serious about protecting the unique wildlife of Queensland they really have to put a stop to the piece-meal approach to coastal development, adopt a more coordinated approach and designate sanctuaries that protect species from potentially devastating impacts of major coastal developments.”

For further information:
Charlie Stevens, WWF Media Manager – Queensland, 0424 649 689
Lydia Gibson, WWF Tropical Marine Species Manager, 0406 382 498

Notes to the editor:

• Today Australia’s dugong population is only three per cent of its size in the 1960s.
• Because they are long lived and slow to mature, population growth is extremely slow and can only ever increase by five per cent a year.
• When their habitat quality is reduced (less foraging grounds due to increased coastal development) females dugongs will respond by having less young.
• There is a substantial sea grass meadow in the area north of Fisherman’s Landing, consisting of Halophila sp and Zostera sp assemblages1. WWF-Australia is extremely concerned that this proposal combined with scenarios outlined in the Western Basin Strategic Dredging and Disposal Project (WBSDD) – which involves further dredging of shipping channels, swing basins, and construction and management of a proposed Fisherman’s Landing dredge material management area – would be extremely significant and damaging to the marine ecology of the area, its biodiversity and to commercial and recreational fishing in the area
• Current proposals associated with the dredging of new shipping channels in the Gladstone Port and reclamation of land north of Fisherman’s Landing could result in the destruction of over 400 ha, or 7.0% of coastal sea grasses in the Western Basin of Gladstone Harbour. The loss of this habitat – within a designated Dugong Management Area would be of major significance to the coastal ecosystems of the region. On this basis, WWF-Australia strongly believes that this proposal is unnecessary and unwarranted and approval for the reclamation of Fishermen’s Landing should therefore be denied.

The latest National Greenhouse Accounts show the greatest risk to Australia achieving vital cuts to carbon pollution is political hot air.

WWF-Australia points out that the Accounts reveal the amount of national carbon pollution is still growing compared to the baseline year of 1990.

“Any slow down in the rate of carbon pollution growth is more likely due to a slower economy rather than political progress,” said Paul Toni, WWF’s Development and Sustainability Manager.

“On one hand we have Senator Wong acknowledging that a price on carbon will be essential to reverse the growth in pollution, yet on the other hand the Government has chosen to delay any more progress towards an emissions trading scheme until at least 2013.

“Until we see all sides of politics making real efforts to reduce Australia’s carbon pollution, the only thing they are contributing is hot air.”

WWF-Australia continues to ask all politicians to support an emissions trading scheme which would cap the total amount of carbon pollution produced, then reduce it over time.

Without this system in place to put a price on carbon, Australia is in jeopardy of not only missing its target set out under the Kyoto Protocol, but more importantly of scuttling any chance of a meaningful global agreement to replace the Protocol when it runs out in 2012.

“As a de-facto election campaign begins in earnest, we want all of Australia’s politicians to remember this is unfinished business. Australia needs a price on carbon by 2011. Hot air won’t get us there,” said Mr Toni.

For more information: Jonathon Larkin, Senior Media Officer, 0410 221 410, [email protected]

While politicians and a lot of companies are slowly implementing climate protection measures, the public can now play the online-game CEO2 – launched by financial service provider Allianz and WWF – to test potential climate change reduction business strategies.

In the game, users can slip into the role of a CEO and show which business strategies work out to reduce carbon, reduce risks and increase long-term profitability.

The aim of the game is to identify which investments at what time will set the course for profitable growth in the low carbon economy of the future.

CEO2 shows the possible impacts of business decisions in the chemical, automobile, utility and finance industry during the next 20 years. Players’ success is measured according to the development of the stock price and carbon emissions.

According the recent Report on Energy and Climate Policy in Europe (RECIPE) drawn up by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and supported by Allianz and WWF, Europe especially could profit from climate protection if it sets the framework for middle- and long-term reductions of greenhouse gas emissions.

CEO2 was developed by Allianz and WWF to show the long-term connections between investment cycles and carbon reduction strategies and decisions, and to reach a broad public audience.

The game is available on www.ceo2-game.com for free. It was developed by the Berlin communications agency LGM Interactive.

For further information:
Sigrid Goldbrunner, WWF Germany, +49 30 308 742-0, [email protected]

Wild Queensland nut trees are vital to the future of a $500 million a year industry but they are officially vulnerable to extinction, with less than three per cent of the remaining range fully protected in national parks or nature reserves, according to new analysis by WWF- Australia.

More widely known as the macadamia nut, the two edible species of wild Queensland nut trees are only found in sub-tropical rainforests stretching from Bundaberg in south-east Queensland to Lismore in northern NSW, an area which has seen rapid development in recent decades.

Analysis by WWF-Australia and Spatial Ecology Laboratory at the University of Queensland has found just 1.3 per cent of the remaining distribution of the smooth Queensland nut (Macadamia integrifolia) and only 2.1 per cent of the rough shelled Queensland nut (Macadamia tetraphylla) is protected inside national parks and nature reserves.

Only about 1000 smooth-shelled and less then 2000 rough-shelled Queensland nut trees remain alive in the wild after 200 years of logging, clearing and development in these now heavily populated regions.

"The Queensland nut is Australia’s only crop developed from a wild native species and the source of a lucrative $500 million industry," Dr Taylor said.

"But despite its strategic economic value and cultural significance, little is being done to bring its remaining natural habitat into nature reserves."

Cultivated Queensland nut trees, even those grown in Australia, all derive from as few as six wild specimens collected from Australia and bred in Hawaii last century.

Without genes for resistance to pests and diseases from wild populations, the narrow gene pool of cultivated trees puts Queensland nut production worldwide at risk of a pest or disease outbreak.

"In 2008 the state government committed to add 4.3 million hectares to the Queensland national parks system by 2020. The Queensland nut is one clear example of the real economic benefits that could result from meeting this promise," Dr Taylor said.

More information

Dr Martin Taylor, WWF-Australia Protected Areas Policy Manager, 0406 384 289

Charlie Stevens, WWF-Australia Media Manager- Qld, 0424 649 689

Despite the APVMA’s request for a mass recall of the toxic fungicide quintozene there are still too many out-dated and dangerous agricultural chemicals being used in Australia, WWF warned today.

The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) yesterday called for a mass recall of quintozene, after discovering that it contained a contaminant that is a type of dioxin.

“While it is good to see the APVMA take this sort of action for one particular pesticide, they need to be much tougher on the range of other dangerous pesticides still available for sale in Australia,” said WWF’s spokesperson Juliette King.

“At least eight chemicals have been under review by the APVMA for 13 years or more for suspected human health and environmental impacts. That’s far too long to ascertain a chemical’s safety, especially when the chemical is still sitting on shelves,” she said.

“It’s the APVMA’s job to protect us all from these dangerous chemicals but they’ve been an agency characterised by delay and inaction and they rarely appear to adopt a precautionary approach.”

The toxic pesticide, atrazine, has been banned in Europe since 2007 but is still widely available in Australia. Atrazine is part of a cocktail of chemicals that has been detected up to 60 kilometres within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

US Geological Survey scientists yesterday said they’d discovered links between atrazine and tissue abnormalities in fish, as well as reduced reproduction and spawning. The study appeared in the journal Aquatic Toxicology.

The highly poisonous insecticide endosulfan has been banned in over 60 countries and is being considered by the Stockholm Convention’s Review Committee for a global ban because of its toxicity to humans and wildlife and ability to bioaccumulate, yet it still remains available for use in Australia.

Another toxic pesticide diuron has been under review in Australia since 2002. Despite interim findings of unacceptable risks to seagrass and dugongs in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, it remains available for sale.

“The APVMA needs to catch up with the rest of the world and take a much more precautionary and proactive approach to regulating dangerous pesticides in Australia.”

For more information:
Charlie Stevens, WWF Media Manager – Queensland, 0424 649 689
Juliette King, WWF Australia Conservation Policy Officer, 0438 864 997

Traditional Owners and WWF have called for a formal investigation into the presence of unregistered nets in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park following the recent discovery of three dead dugongs in a net near Cairns.

The discovery of the dugongs by a navy crew comes on the back of recent anecdotal accounts of sea turtles being targeted for an illegal meat trade in far north Queensland.

“We are working to conserve these species as best we can while reserving the right to pursue our traditional way of life,” said CEO of the Girringun Aboriginal Corporation Phil Rist, whose organisation represents Traditional Owners south of Cairns.

“It is highly unlikely that this would have occurred on our sea country because there has been significant investment in management and conservation mechanisms,” Mr Rist said.

“Any illegal harvesting of these species undermines our efforts to balance traditional activities on our lands and seas with conservation.”

WWF’s Conservation on Country Manager Cliff Cobbo said the loss of three dugongs was a significant blow to the population of threatened species in the southern part of the Great Barrier Reef.

“These animals are long-lived and very slow to reproduce and so the loss of three individuals from the southern Great Barrier Reef population is a real set-back to recovery efforts,” Mr Cobbo said.

“The fact that this net had been set so close to the highly populated area of Cairns and was only discovered inadvertently makes you question what is happening further north where there is even less chance of being caught,” Mr Cobbo said.

“Increased Indigenous capacity is needed in these areas to conserve threatened marine species and police activities such as the illegal harvest of turtles and dugongs.”

WWF is calling on the Federal Government to dedicate considerable funding from the $3 billion Closing the Gap budget commitment to create new Indigenous ranger positions on land and sea country.

The Girringun Aboriginal Corporation and the Gudjuda Reference Group are two north Queensland Traditional Owner groups that have entered into conservation agreements with WWF-Australia to improve protection for the Great Barrier Reef’s marine turtles, dugongs and inshore dolphins.

For more information:

Charlie Stevens, WWF Media Manager – Queensland, 0424 649 689
Cliff Cobbo, Policy Manager – Conservation on Country, 0406 384 288

The Australian Government’s decision to delay the carbon pollution reduction scheme (CPRS) is grossly irresponsible both in terms of the environment and the economy, and is a betrayal to those who voted the Rudd Government in, WWF-Australia CEO Greg Bourne said today.

It also flies in the face of a new opinion poll which shows an overwhelming 79 per cent of respondents believe Australia should either begin reducing carbon pollution before other countries, or start reducing regardless of when other countries choose to act.

“It is clear the Australian public wants action now, and not when it is politically beneficial,” said Mr Bourne. “Delaying the scheme elevates opportunism over the welfare of future generations.”

The Government’s decision ignores environmental and economic advice from a wide range of experts recommending immediate Australian action, including the CSIRO and the Garnaut and Shergold reviews.

Both Garnaut and Shergold recommended the immediate implementation of an emission trading scheme irrespective of the positions taken by other countries because it would advantage Australia in the long run.

The new opinion poll of over 4,000 Australians living in metropolitan areas was conducted for WWF-Australia by AMR Interactive. Only13 per cent of respondents said Australia should wait until other countries take action on reducing their carbon pollution.

Despite the overwhelming public support for action, Australia’s carbon pollution remains the highest per-capita in the developed world. Australia’s carbon pollution is currently growing at twice the world average.

Respected Australian and international economists charged with assessing options to reduce carbon pollution have all found an emissions trading scheme to be the most efficient, cost effective and environmentally sound method to reduce Australia’s carbon pollution.

“Australia’s carbon pollution keeps going up and up. The longer we delay setting a price on carbon, the more it is going to cost Australian households and Australian businesses,” said Mr Bourne.

“No matter where you look, the advice is the same. We need a way to set a limit on carbon pollution and begin reducing it.

“The Australian Government should negotiate with the Greens and other willing senators to put an interim price on carbon immediately, and then implement an emissions trading scheme by late 2011.”

Contact: Jonathon Larkin, WWF Press office, 0410 221 410, 02 8202 1216.

The Southern Cross Climate Coalition (SCCC) has expressed deep disappointment about the shelving of the Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme (CPRS) and warned Australia could not afford to stall its contribution to global action.

The SCCC* said: “Australian businesses, jobs and investors have had a decade of delay in effective climate policy. Meanwhile, clean energy industries and jobs have been lost to competitors in China, South Korea, and Europe where ambitious clean energy policies are being implemented.

“Since October last year more than 150 new measures have been announced globally to reduce climate pollution and 32 countries now have emissions trading schemes. Around US$200 billion is expected to be invested in clean energy solutions, in 2010.

“All political parties and many business leaders are responsible for jeopardising efforts to make the transition to a clean energy economy and growing Australian clean-energy jobs, investment and industries.

“Shelving serious efforts to reduce Australia’s climate pollution diminishes the positive role that Australia can play in global climate negotiations which will ultimately increase climate and economic risk to the nation.

“Both parties who have backed the 2020 target ranges for emission reductions now need to explain how these are to be achieved at lowest cost without an economy-wide price signal such as an emissions trading scheme.”

All political parties should revisit their policies to:

1. Turn around our still rising climate pollution in the life of the next Government (i.e before 2013) and establish credible plans to achieve at least the 25 per cent reduction target by 2020.
2. Encourage investment, jobs and profits in clean energy and other climate solutions.
3. Make large companies responsible for their climate pollution by limiting and pricing emissions.
4. Implement a carbon price through an emission trading scheme in 2011 at the latest.
5. Ensure support for low income and vulnerable households as we move to put a price on climate pollution and experience greater climate change impacts.
6. Establish additional incentives for companies to overcome non-price barriers to invest in large scale investment in clean energy technologies, jobs and industries.
7. Help households and businesses use energy more efficiently so the whole economy can catch up with other countries that are doing more to avoid costly energy wastage.

*John Connor, The Climate Institute; Sharan Burrow, ACTU ; Tony Westmore, Australian Council of Social Service; Paul Toni WWF; Tony Mohr ACF.

For more information: John Connor, Climate Institute, 0413 968 475 or Climate Institute Communications 02 92525200.

A proposal announced today by the International Whaling Commission (IWC) would, for the first time in almost 25 years, endorse the killing of whales in one of their most critical feeding grounds – the Southern Ocean.

In an effort to bring Japan, Norway and Iceland’s continued whaling under the IWC’s control, the Chair of the IWC has proposed giving these countries official commercial whaling quotas for the next 10 years.

“The proposed quotas are not set using the IWC’s own scientific methods, but are a result of political bargaining which has little if anything to do with the whales themselves,” said Rob Nicoll, WWF-Australia’s Antarctic and Southern Oceans Initiative Manager.

If adopted the new proposal would legitimise commercial whaling in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary, despite the IWC’s absolute ban on commercial whaling in this area since 1994. The Southern Ocean is the main feeding ground of many whale species such as blue whales, humpback whales and fin whales.

“Some whales feed exclusively in the Southern Ocean – not eating at all during the winter months when they travel up to tropical waters,” added Nicoll.

“If there is one place on earth where whales should have full protection, it is the Southern Ocean. Allowing commercial whaling in an area where whales are so vulnerable goes against all logic.”

The new proposal would allow for the killing of 400 minke and 10 fin whales each year in the waters around Antarctica. 725,000 fin whales were killed in the Southern Hemisphere in the twentieth century.

“Fin whale numbers were depleted to severely low levels by previous whaling that spun out of control, and remain endangered as a result. Allowing new commercial whaling on this species when they have yet to recover from previous whaling is management madness,” said Nicoll.

The members of the IWC will decide whether to adopt the proposal at its next annual meeting in Agadair, Morocco, June 21st – 25th.

WWF-Australia is calling on all members of the IWC to support the Australian government’s alternative proposal to break the IWC deadlock, put forward in February.

“If accepted, the Australian Government’s proposal would uphold the current moratorium and ensure that existing internationally recognised sanctuaries are indeed sanctuaries where no whales will be killed,” said Mr Nicoll.

More information

Jonathon Larkin, Senior Media Officer, 0410 221 410, [email protected]

Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei: A frog with no lungs, a frog that changes its skin and eye colour and the world’s longest insect are among new species discovered in the three years since the Heart of Borneo conservation plan was drawn up by the three governments with jurisdiction over the world’s third largest island.

New WWF report Borneo’s New World: Newly Discovered Species in the Heart of Borneo details 123 new species discovered since the February 2007 agreement by Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia to conserve 220,000 km2 of irreplaceable tropical rainforest, designated the Heart of Borneo (HoB).

"As the past three years of independent scientific discovery have proven, new forms of life are constantly being discovered in the Heart of Borneo,”" said Adam Tomasek, leader of WWF’s HoB Initiative.

Explorers have been visiting the island of Borneo for centuries, but vast tracts of its interior are yet to be biologically explored, he said.

"If this stretch of irreplaceable rainforest can be conserved for our children, the promise of more discoveries must be a tantalising one for the next generation of researchers to contemplate," he added.

The HoB, an "island within an island" is home to ten species of primate, more than 350 birds, 150 reptiles and amphibians and a staggering 10,000 plants that are found nowhere else in the world, the report says.

The rate of discovery since the foundation of the HoB is more than three new species per month, providing ample justification for the decision to protect the region.

Speaking at the launch of the report during a meeting of the three Heart of Borneo governments, Brunei Darussalam’s Minister of Industry & Primary Resources, the Honourable Pehin Dato Yahya, paid tribute to the dedicated scientists who spent countless hours in challenging conditions to uncover the staggering bio-diversity.

"These amazing new findings highlight the importance of our efforts to implement the HoB Declaration’s bold vision," he said of the region which also contains the pygmy elephant, orangutan, rhinoceros, and clouded leopard.

With so many new species discovered every month, WWF has made the region a global priority through its Heart of Borneo Initiative. WWF offices in Malaysia and Indonesia support tri-government efforts to conserve and sustainably manage the HoB.

Under the 2007 agreement, the three governments have committed to enhance protected area and trans-boundary management, develop eco-tourism and support sustainable resource management.

"Three years on, the Heart of Borneo Declaration is proving to be an irreplaceable foundation for conservation and sustainable development by establishing a framework for action to protect Borneo’s globally outstanding biodiversity, eco-system services and livelihoods," WWF’s Tomasek said.

"The discovery of these new species in the Heart of Borneo underlines the incredible diversity of this remarkable area and emphasizes the importance of the commitments already made by Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia to protect it," he added.

The discoveries also highlight the need to increase financial and technical support to ensure their continued survival, he said.

Borneo’s new world

Newly discovered species in the Heart of Borneo

Download the report here (PDF, 3.5mb)

More information

Adam Tomasek, Leader, Heart of Borneo Initiative, WWF Tel: +62 21 5761070 Ext. 228, E-mail: [email protected]

Christopher Greenwood, International Communications Manager, Heart of Borneo Initiative, WWF Tel: + 60 128281214 E-mail: [email protected]

Jonathon Larkin, WWF Australia Press Office, 0410 221 410, 02 8202 1216

Notes to editors:

Electronic version of the WWF report is available here

Images of the new species can be downloaded here.

Researchers who have indicated a willingness to be interviewed on their discoveries are listed below.

Prof. Dr. Menno Schilthuizen – discoverer of a number of slug species and someone very familiar with the Borneo region, National Museum of Natural History ‘Naturalis’, P.O. Box 9517; 2300 RA Leiden; the Netherlands, tel. (+31-0)-71-5687769; mobile: (+31-0)-6-22030313; home: (+31-0)-318-300380, E-mail: [email protected] Webpage

Also, Dr Gernot Vogel – snake discovery. Society for Southeast Asian Herpetology, Im Sand 3, D-69115 Heidelberg, Germany, Email: [email protected], Webpage

Federal Agriculture Minister Tony Burke and his State counterparts must seize the opportunity to fix Australia’s failing national pesticides regulatory system when they meet in Darwin this week, in order to better protect Australians from dangerous chemicals.

The Primary Industries Ministerial Council will meet on Thursday to discuss a review of Australia’s national pesticides regulator – the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA) – and decide whether to give the APVMA extended powers to monitor and enforce conditions around pesticide use.

WWF opposes the proposed extension of the APVMA’s powers without significant reforms to the way it operates.

The APVMA has been unresponsive to health and environmental concerns surrounding dangerous agricultural chemicals used in Australia, with a number of highly toxic pesticides under review for more than 13 years.

"Public concern about the harmful impact of dangerous chemicals in our environment is rising. Our governments have a responsibility to respond in a timely way to these concerns," said WWF- Australia spokesperson Juliette King.

"We are calling on the Primary Industries Ministerial Council to act decisively and urgently to reform the way we deal with chemicals. This is a once in a generation opportunity to right some wrongs of the past.

"One of the major failings of the APVMA is the length of time it takes to review chemicals, so the last thing we want is the review of the APVMA to also drag on for years and years," she said.

The highly poisonous insecticide endosulfan has been banned in over 60 countries and is being considered by the Stockholm Convention’s Review Committee for a global ban because of its toxicity to humans and wildlife and ability to bioaccumulate, yet it still remains available for use in Australia.

The toxic pesticide diuron has been under review since 2002. Despite interim findings of unacceptable risks to seagrass and dugongs in the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park, it remains available for sale.

Another toxic pesticide, atrazine, has been banned in Europe since 2007 but is still widely available in Australia. Atrazine is part of a cocktail of chemicals that has been detected up to 60 kilometres within the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area.

Ms King said that more emphasis needs to be put on correcting the failures of the current system.

"We have to protect our clean and green image and stop Australia being a laggard in terms of harbouring outdated chemical technologies."

For more information:

Charlie Stevens, WWF Media Manager – Queensland, 0424 649 689;

Juliette King, WWF Australia Conservation Policy Officer, 0438 864 997

A new chief executive officer has been appointed to head WWF-Australia, bringing strong ties to China and significant knowledge of Asia and the Pacific.

Dermot O’Gorman, who is currently the head of WWF-China, will replace Greg Bourne as WWF- Australia’s new CEO on August 1.

Mr O’Gorman, who grew up on the New South Wales south coast, brings broad national and international conservation experience to the role, reflecting WWF-Australia’s increasing engagement in regional conservation efforts.

Mr O’Gorman took over as the Country Representative of WWF-China in 2005, where based in Beijing, he has overseen the rapidly growing domestic and international program.

Among his achievements as head of WWF-China are the establishment of a climate adaptation and wetland protected area network for the whole Yangtze River basin, the protection of 1.6 million hectares of panda landscape, and the promotion of an initiative with Chinese banks to green China’s investment into Africa and other developing countries.

He first joined WWF in 1998, becoming the Head of Government and Aid Agency Partnerships for WWF-UK. In 2001, he moved to Fiji as WWF’s Regional Representative in the South Pacific, where he initiated the development of the Fiji Island and Bismarck Solomon Seas Ecoregion planning approach and also supported Pacific Islands on fisheries and whale conservation.

After a number of years in the Pacific, he moved to WWF International headquarters in Switzerland as the Deputy Director of WWF’s Asia Pacific Program, overseeing conservation efforts across the region and managing WWF’s partnership with the Asia Development Bank.

&qout;Dermot brings a vast amount of knowledge and experience both domestically and internationally to the role of WWF-Australia CEO,&qout; said WWF-Australia President Denis Saunders.

&qout;This exciting appointment will ensure the organisation is well placed to meet the growing environmental challenges facing our country and the region, from over-fishing to the creation of protected areas, species protection and climate change adaptation and mitigation,&qout; Mr Saunders continued.

Mr Bourne will leave WWF-Australia after nearly six years as Chief Executive Officer, during which time his considerable climate change policy and business leadership skills has helped position the organisation as a central voice in the climate change debate.

More information

Rachael Hoy, National Media Manager, WWF-Australia, 0407 204 594.

From protecting communities against natural disasters, providing clean water and food security, and helping to alleviate poverty, national parks serve humanity in many more ways than simply helping to preserve wildlife, according to a 10-year global study released by WWF today.

The new book presents a decade of research as a compilation of case studies from around the world demonstrating the importance of protected areas for human wellbeing.

Arguments for Protected Areas: Multiple Benefits for Conservation and Use was launched in Melbourne today at the Healthy Parks, Healthy People Congress by former NSW Environment Minister Bob Debus, and concurrently at WWF’s global headquarters in Gland, Switzerland.

"Critics often say protected areas lock-up resources and detract from human wellbeing but this comprehensive study shows quite the opposite is true," Mr Debus said.

"Parks give back to society many times over what we put into protecting and managing them in terms of clean water and clean air and the many billions of dollars in nature-based tourism spending every year.

"In Australia, for example, the Australian Government’s Indigenous Protected Area and ranger programs have greatly improved social and economic conditions for participating Indigenous communities."

Organisations that have contributed to the study include the United Nations Development Program, the World Bank, the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, the World Health Organisation, and the IUCN-World Commission on Protected Areas.

Major benefits documented in the study include:

• Climate control: protected areas store 47 billion tonnes of carbon world wide and a reactively soaking up more from the air.
• Disaster mitigation: protected mangroves, reefs, forests and floodplains buffer human communities against storms, flood, mudslides and even tsunamis.
• Clean water: a third of the world’s largest cities obtain a significant portion of their clean drinking water from protected areas.
• Food security: protected areas harbour wild plant and animal genetic resources worth many billions of dollars every year to pharmaceutical and agricultural industries.
• Poverty reduction: protected areas prevent over-exploitation of wild harvested plants and animals, especially fish stocks that poor communities depend on. They also provide cash revenue from tourism valued at hundreds of billions worldwide.
• Cultural heritage: protected areas also protect many natural or semi-natural religious and cultural sites of great importance to human communities.

Notes

Bob Debus was Minister for the Environment in NSW for eight years from 1999 to 2007 when he entered federal parliament and served on the Rudd cabinet. He recently announced his impending retirement from politics. Mr Debus is available for interviews from 10am on Tues 13th April by arrangement with the media contacts shown below.

Many partners have been involved in WWF’s Arguments for Protection project over the past 10 years including: the United Nations Development Program, The World Bank, the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction, the World Health Organisation, Alliance of Religions and Conservation (ARC), University of Birmingham, IUCN-World Commission on Protected Areas, The Nature Conservancy, and the Wildlife Conservation Society.The study is also being launched globally in Switzerland by WWF’s Director General, Jim Leape.

Also present and available to talk at the Melbourne launch are lead authors Nigel Dudley and Sue Stolton of Equilibrium Research, Chair of the IUCN’s World Commission on Protected areas (WCPA) Nik Lopoukhine, and Vice Chair for Oceania Penelope Figgis AO, Chair of Australia’s Indigenous Advisory Council Chrissy Grant and senior parks agency officials from Colombia, Tanzania and Canada.

The study represents a synthesis of seven reports developed in WWF’s Arguments for Protection see here.

The study release includes a book, a CD, a set of Powerpoint presentations and a Protected Areas Benefits Assessment Tool all published by Earthscan press.

More information

Charles Stevens, WWF-Australia, 0424 649 689 or [email protected]

Sarah Bladen, WWF-International, +41 79 415 0220 or [email protected]

Penny Underwood, Mediawise, 03 9818 8540 or [email protected]

WWF today awarded Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett the prestigious Leaders for a Living Planet award, in recognition of significant commitments to the expansion and enhancement of Australia’s protected areas.

The award, presented to Minister Garrett at the opening of the Healthy Parks, Healthy People Congress at the Melbourne Convention Centre, is one of the highest honours given to individuals by the global conservation organisation.

"Through programs such as Reef Rescue and the National Reserve System, Minister Garrett’s commitments to protected areas represent major progress towards the establishment of a safety net for Australia’s wildlife," said Greg Bourne, WWF-Australia CEO.

"They also promise real economic benefits in terms of tourism, clean water, clean air and climate mitigation. "In addition, increased funding for Indigenous Protected Areas and ranger programs promise significant improvements in health and wellbeing for Indigenous communities.

"This award recognises that conservation is more than a portfolio for Minister Garrett. Instead, it has been a lifetime commitment."

Mr Bourne presented the award certificate and letter to Minister Garrett on behalf of WWF-International Director General Jim Leape.

Minister Garrett is the first Australian recipient of a Leaders for a Living Planet award, which has been awarded to over 50 government and non-government conservation leader since 2002, recognising a wide variety of initiatives. Recent recipients include Nepal’s Climate-For-Life Ambassadors Apa and Dawa Sherpa.

Specific commitments made by Minister Garrett recognised by the Award include:

• $200 million to reduce pollution affecting the Great Barrier Reef.
• $180 million to expand the area protected within the National Reserve System.
• $50 million for Indigenous Protected Areas, $90 million for Indigenous ranger programs and $10 million to support Indigenous participation in emerging carbon markets.
• A target to expand protected areas to at least 125 million hectares (a 25 per cent increase) by 2013.
• A renewed national strategy for the National Reserve System that focuses on protecting critical habitats and the viability of species and ecological communities threatened by climate change by 2030.
• Progress on national marine protected areas including a new conservation zone over the Coral Sea.

See the Leaders for a living planet brochure here

With containment devices now deployed and efforts underway to remove oil from the stricken Shen Neng 1 coal carrier, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd must now commit to a formal and comprehensive review of shipping in the Great Barrier Reef.

As attempts to prevent a major environmental catastrophe continue, the Rudd Government must demonstrate how it plans to lower the risks to vulnerable and sensitive marine areas from impacts associated with shipping accidents, starting with a broad-reaching review.

“What this incident shows, along with the previous ship groundings over the last ten years, is that the system is not foolproof,” said WWF Australia spokesperson Richard Leck.

“Currently there appear to be a number of black holes in the way shipping is managed in the Great Barrier Reef leading to an unacceptable level of risk.

“The Prime Minister’s initial comments that Great Barrier Reef shipping needs closer scrutiny are a good start but we are urging the Government to undertake a formal review of this incident and the threats posed by shipping traffic to the reef.”

As part of this formal review process, WWF recommends the following measures are considered:

• All large commercial vessels travelling within all parts of the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area be required to have qualified and experienced pilots on board;
• Effective Vessel Tracking Systems be implemented or extended to cover the entire area of the Great Barrier Reef;
• A review of shipping routes inside and outside the Great Barrier Reef be conducted, with a focus on narrow channels and proximity to reef habitats, mindful of the need to maximise safety factors for vessels and crew, for example during cyclone seasons, as well as minimise environmental risk.

“For the past ten years, WWF has consistently called for significant improvements in the way shipping is managed in the Great Barrier Reef. This incident is yet another wake up call that improvements are needed. Governments need to act now to commit to a review and subsequently on recommendations,” Mr Leck said.

“The global outrage over the Shen Neng 1 grounding has shown us that the world never wants to see another preventable incident happening in amongst the coral reefs, turtle nesting grounds, and sea bird breeding sites of the Great Barrier Reef.”

More information

Charlie Stevens, WWF-Australia Media Manager – Queensland, 0424 649 689

Richard Leck, WWF-Australia, 0439 814 847

Large vessels need to be in safe hands when transiting through the Great Barrier Reef, and this means local pilots with local knowledge, WWF said today.

The global conservation organisation has called for immediate improvements to the way shipping is managed in the Great Barrier Reef after the Chinese-owned bulk coal carrier Shen Neng 1 slammed into the reef on the weekend.

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This is the latest incident in a series of shipping accidents along Queensland’s coast over the past ten years, and highlights the failings of the current management system.

"The current lack of safeguards around shipping in the Great Barrier Reef is akin to playing Russian roulette with one of the world’s most treasured natural icons," said WWF-Australia Director of Conservation Dr Gilly Llewellyn.

"In addition to having compulsory pilots with local expertise on all large vessels in the reef, there needs to be much better monitoring systems in place so that authorities know where large vessels are on the reef at all times.

"There must be no blind spots when ships navigate the Great Barrier Reef. This means real time tracking of all vessels and monitoring to ensure they stay on course."

In November 2000 a Malaysian-owned container ship, the Bunga Teratai Satu, ran aground on Sudbury Reef, 22nm south-east of Cairns. The ship left a 70-metre scar along the reef and approximately 2,000 square metres of coral was pulverised.

In 2002 the Greek-owned bulk carrier Doric Chariot ran aground on Piper Reef, causing significant damage to about 3,500 square metres of the reef.

And just last year, 250 tonnes of oil escaped from the container ship Pacific Adventurer and washed up on Sunshine Coast beaches, Bribie Island and Moreton Island.

"With shipping traffic set to escalate dramatically in these waters over coming years, a major environmental disaster becomes more likely. A review of the current management system is urgently needed to ensure it is completely watertight," Dr Llewellyn said.

By ploughing into Douglas shoals at speed, the Shen Neng 1 has already destroyed corals and damaged the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage area.

The Capricorn Cays where the ship is wrecked is a major breeding area for seabirds and marine turtles. Onshore there is the Shoalwater Bay Ramsar-listed wetlands to the north, the Keppel Islands to the East, and Curtis island, an important seagrass area and nesting beach for endangered marine turtles, to the south.

"The ship is carrying more than 6000 barrels of heavy fuel oil. It is disabled, wrecked on a reef and taking a pounding," Dr Llewellyn said.

"It is a ticking environmental time-bomb. If the fuel tanks were to breach it would be an environmental disaster of huge proportions, not to mention the economic impacts of such a leak on tourism and fishing businesses in the area.

"While authorities decide how they are going to salvage the vessel and remove the oil that is onboard, we need to see containment systems in place, and that means booms and skimmers, so that any oil that reaches the water can be collected and removed."

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More information

Charlie Stevens, WWF Media Manager – Queensland, 0424 649 689

Gilly Llewellyn, WWF Director of Conservation, 0406 380 801

Six of Australia’s biggest palm oil manufacturers and retailers have been assessed for the first time in WWF-Australia’s Palm Oil Buyers’ Scorecard – giving a snapshot of the sustainability of palm oil in products manufactured and sold by Cadbury, Coles, Goodman Fielder, Nestle, Unilever and Woolworths.

"Ninety seven per cent of our palm oil comes from Indonesia and Malaysia – places with incredibly important rainforests and wildlife habitats," said WWF-Australia CEO Greg Bourne.

"Palm oil growth is now one of the world’s leading causes of deforestation. The choices made by retailers and manufacturers of palm oil have a direct impact on the habitat of endangered species such as the orang-utan, Sumatran tiger and Asian elephant."

Together, the companies featuring in WWF-Australia’s Scorecard account for approximately 70 per cent of the palm oil imported and used in manufactured goods in Australia.

Palm oil is the world’s most widely used vegetable oil and can be found in processed foods like chocolate, hot cross buns, biscuits, chips and ice cream. According to figures from the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO), palm oil can be found in up to 50 per cent of the packaged food products on our shelves. It can also be found in many cosmetics, lipsticks, shampoos, conditioners and moisturisers.

In Australia, palm oil is labelled as vegetable oil, offering consumers no way of knowing whether or not their shopping choices are contributing to deforestation and habitat loss.

"Australia imports around 130,000 tonnes of palm oil ever year making ‘Australia’s palm oil footprint’ 13,000 times the size of the MCG. We need to reduce the impact of this by using more sustainable palm oil through plantations being certified to the standards of the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil," said Mr Bourne.

By working with WWF and the RSPO, companies both in Australia and internationally are beginning to make the switch to a sustainable alternative, Certified Sustainable Palm Oil (CSPO).

"WWF believes it is possible for palm oil imports into Australia to be 100 per cent CSPO by 2015, ensuring our palm oil consumption does not drive the further loss of these amazing habitats," said Mr Bourne.

After consultation with WWF-Australia, two of the three Australian companies assessed in the scorecard have now made commitments to use CSPO. Woolworths will switch to 100 per cent CSPO in their private label products and manufacturer Goodman Fielder will buy Greenpalm certificates for its retail branded products.

"WWF welcomes the recent decision by Woolworths to use 100 per cent certified sustainable palm oil – a strong sign to palm oil producers that there is growing demand for a sustainable alternative," said Mr Bourne.

"Goodman Fielder have also committed to sourcing CSPO. It is great to see these Australian companies beginning to reduce the impact they are having on the environment."

Internationally, Unilever, Nestle and Cadbury have also agreed to make the switch to CSPO. Palm oil remains one of the world’s most high-impact commodities and WWF will continue to work internationally to reduce the environmental toll it takes, while protecting the livelihoods of workers in palm oil producing regions.

WWF-Australia Palm Oil Buyers’ Scorecard can be found online here: www.wwf.org.au/palm-oil-scorecard-Australia

More information

Jonathon Larkin, WWF-Australia Media
Officer, 0410 221 410, [email protected]

WWF today welcomed Federal Environment Minister Peter Garrett’s announcement that recognises the high conservation value of the Coral Sea and the East Marine Region.

"We see it as a big step towards the declaration of a high level of protection for the Coral Sea," said WWF spokesman Richard Leck.

"Every year Australians enjoy the sight of magnificent humpback whales on their annual migration routes, travelling up the east coast of Australia. Today’s announcement brings us one step closer to providing a safety net of marine sanctuaries for these creatures and many other species that make up our extraordinary marine wildlife."

As well as iconic creatures such as whales, turtles and sharks, the Coral Sea and East Marine Region include a range of unique and important habitats which are home to many species found nowhere else on the planet.

The Australian Government has committed to building a network of marine parks in Australian waters by 2012. WWF-Australia sees the protection of places like the Coral Sea and the East Marine Region as critical components of this network.

"The Coral Sea is a magnificent marine wilderness," said Mr Leck.

"WWF-Australia looks forward to working on the next step of the process to ensure it, and the East Marine egion, receive the protection they deserve."

More information

Alvin Stone, Communications Officer, WWF-Australia. Ph: (02) 8202 1259. Mbl: 0410 221 068

Two of Adelaide Zoo’s most precious visitors – pandas Wang Wang and Funi – have joined this year’s Earth Hour as official ambassadors.

The giant pandas, who arrived in Australia in November last year, are a reminder of the motivations behind WWF’s work on Earth Hour.

“These spectacular animals – the recognised symbol of WWF – represent the fragility of our environment which is acknowledged the world over,” said WWF-Australia CEO Greg Bourne.

“Environmental threats facing our planet such as climate change and habitat loss continue to put creatures like Wang Wang and Funi at risk. We hope that everyone takes an opportunity before, during and after Earth Hour to think about how they can reduce their impact on our planet.”

In 2010 Earth Hour will focus on the simple, long-term changes people can make to reduce their environmental impact. WWF is encouraging people to measure their environmental ‘footprint’ through the online calculator found at www.earthhour.org.au.

Zoos South Australia’s President Heather Caddick said the Zoo is delighted that Australia’s Giant Pandas Wang Wang and Funi have been chosen as ambassadors for Earth Hour 2010.

“Pandas are the world’s most beloved and recognised endangered species, with only 1,600 remaining in the wild. They represent all endangered and maybe less glamorous species on our planet.

“Earth Hour puts into focus the damage we humans have done to wild habitats and wildlife, and is a wake up call for us to change!

“Zoos South Australia, through Conservation Ark, is at the forefront of connecting people with the natural world and its fragile state, and we are expanding our environmental stewardship,” said Mrs Caddick.
Wang Wang and Funi will join ambassadors, individuals, families, businesses and communities in over 100 countries participating in this year’s event, more than ever before.

Notes

• New, high resolution photos of Wang Wang and Funi are available on request.
• For Earth Hour information and to measure your environmental footprint, visit
  www.earthhour.org.au

More information

Jonathon Larkin, Media Officer, WWF-Australia 0410 221 410, [email protected]

Emily Rice, Media, Zoos South Australia, 0417 089 937., [email protected]

The next phase in the development of the largest terrestrial conservation plan in Australia’s history will be decided this week at Western Australian stakeholder workshops led by internationally renowned conservation planner Professor Bob Pressey.

The conservation plan takes in an area of Western Australia known as the South West Australia Ecoregion, which is larger than the state of Victoria.

This ecoregion is Australia’s only internationally listed biodiversity hotspot and contains the highest concentration of rare and endangered species in the country.

“Few Western Australians realise their capital city is in the middle of one of the great natural wonders of the world but also one of the most threatened,” Professor Pressey said.

“The landscapes in the southern half of Western Australia have remained relatively unchanged geologically over 250 million years. This has created micro-environments and inter-species relationships which have given rise to an extraordinary number of rare flora and fauna.”

“New plant species are still being discovered every year in this ecoregion. Preserving this remarkable region is more than just an environmental imperative, it could be the key to our own future as well.”

The ecoregion is home to 6,759 species of plants, and has the highest concentration of rare and endangered species in Australia, including seven mammal species, 13 birds, 34 reptiles and 28 frogs, many of which are not found anywhere else in the world.

Unfortunately the impact of development on this region has been profound, pushing numerous species to the brink of extinction.

“The expansion of our ecological footprint in Western Australia over the past 100 years in particular has been so rapid that it is very likely some species have become extinct before we even knew they existed,” said WWF-Australia’s Danielle Witham, who coordinates the planning project.
“This conservation plan is vital to preserve those species and ecosystems that still remain and to enable others that have yet to be discovered to survive.”

The conservation plan has been funded as part of the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country initiative.

Caring for our Country is the Australian Government’s natural resource initiative. It seeks to achieve an environment that is healthy, better protected, well-managed, resilient, and provides essential ecosystem services in a changing climate.

More information

Alvin Stone, Communications Officer WWF-Australia. Phone: (02) 8202 1259 or mobile 0410 221 068.

Notes

• To qualify as a Conservation International hotspot, a region must contain at least 1,500 species of vascular (higher order) plants as endemics (found nowhere else) and must have lost at least 70 per cent of its original habitat. View webpage here
• In recognition of its conservation significance, the wetland systems of the region have been selected as one of WWF’s Global 200 priority freshwater ecoregions, and forest and scrub ecoregions.
• In one part of the region, on the Swan Coastal Plain (including Perth and surrounds), it has been estimated that because of man-made degradation, 70-80% of those wetlands have been destroyed or heavily degraded since European settlement.
• Granite outcrops, known as inselbergs, in the region have created microhabitats that support an extraordinary variety of life. A relic of Jarrah survives at Jilakin Rock, 150 kms inland from the main forest population that exists in a higher rainfall zone. Some species of plants in the ecoregion can only be found at one granite outcrop and nowhere else in the world.
• Some of the remarkable creatures that call the region home, include the noisy scrub-bird that was long presumed extinct until it was rediscovered in Two Peoples Bay near Albany; the western swamp tortoise, which is the smallest and rarest of Australia’s tortoises; and the sunset frog which was discovered in 1994 and represents an entirely new genus of frog that molecular estimates indicate could be 30 million years old.
• The Southwest Australia Ecoregion Initiative includes the Western Australian Department of Environment and Conservation (co-Chair), the Australian Government, the Department of Planning, Greening Australia (WA), WA Local Government Association, and WWF-Australia. A wider range of community, conservation and industry sector stakeholders is also involved.