http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-11-30/fears-for-the-orange-bellied-parrot/4401966 The ABC’s 7.30 Tasmania screened this 8-minute segment on Friday night, which neatly dovetails Tim Flannery’s concerns about a looming extinction crisis (detailed in the current Quarterly Essay), with the plight of the Orange-bellied Parrot. Covers several important issues and features Mark Holdsworth, the Tasmanian coordinator of the OBP Recovery Program. This should have aired nation-wide. I agree with Flannery that we as a nation don’t care nearly enough; nobody is accountable for dropping the ball on threatened species. ===============================
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Hi folks
I’m not sure that “Australia/Australians don’t care” is a worthy summary of Flannery’s thesis. We have a looming extinction crisis. Governments in Australia have legislated to say that they own all wildlife. They have then surrounded their animate-chattels with regulation and bureaucracy administered on minimal budgets and sometimes even by frontline staff who are not knowledgeable or passionate about wildlife. The looming crisis shows that the mechanisms put in place to avoid extinctions aren’t working. We can’t avoid that logic. Flannery also points to the lack of accountability for this – where have we gone wrong and where do we need to improve? As my old tennis coach used to say, if you don’t change losing tactics, you lose! In a democracy, what the people want and what governments do don’t always correlate. For example, if the polling is correct, most Australians want an end to the live exporting of animals (like in NZ) and yet both sides of politics refuse to bow to that. I am confident that, if a referendum were held, most Australians would vote to save their wildlife. But the politicians won’t listen until there is a cost to their inaction. That is my one criticism of the birding community – I don’t think we’ve been political enough. The koala conservation cause took to the streets in Brisbane and got some immediate results and a heap of publicity. Why don’t birders take to the streets? Too timid? Too conservative? Too obsessed with ticks to look at the full story behind them? I think we need to get behind Flannery’s argument that we urgently NEED to change tactics and replace the current failed mechanisms with a new one that has built in accountability. The politicians won’t initiate change unless they feel politically at risk. We need to add our voices to this call. Regards Andrew
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Simon,
Well said and I agree. Although it is a complex issue and often needs to be looked at case by case and situation by situation. But yes, in general the almost elitist attitudes of conservationists have put more of the general public off than have led them toward understanding the various plights of various endangered species. Although sometimes certainly drastic measures are needed. But as I said, I agree with you. If we don’t engage the general public, if they don’t find a genuine caring within themselves, they will not support even the basic the programs that need to be in place for our wildlife.
If I pick up a particularly interesting shell on a beach, it goes in my pocket. Walking along the beach as a child and collecting shells, looking into tidal pools, marveling at whatever might have washed-up were the beginnings of my interest in, and love for, as well as my willingness to defend, our natural world. Cheers, R. Bruce Richardson
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Always a tricky one when they are not tied to one specific area. It then tends to depend upon the level of resources that can be used, if they are in a relatively small area that is broadly known using multiple cameras that can be remote controlled feeding into a central point that also has recorded footage can work, but the logistics etc get more complex and the results can be less reliable. The joys of birds – they don’t always help themselves! Dom
________________________________ Sent: Tuesday, 4 December 2012, 11:13
The problem with OBPs is that any given time, no one knows where any of them are. Not when they’re on the mainland in winter, anyway.
I suppose you could aim a camera at a favourite branch, and there would be a reasonable chance they might turn up there within a few days.
Peter Shute
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The problem with OBPs is that any given time, no one knows where any of them are. Not when they’re on the mainland in winter, anyway.
I suppose you could aim a camera at a favourite branch, and there would be a reasonable chance they might turn up there within a few days.
Peter Shute
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Without knowing the details of OBP and the area they occur in in Melbourne its hard to comment but when I was working for the RSPB in the UK was involved in setting up viewing projects for a wide range of species in all sorts of settings. The RPSB have done “Aren’t Birds Brilliant” events everywhere from the centre of London to look at breeding Peregrines and House Sparrows through to halfway up a mountain side for breeding eagles and cliff edges for vast seabird colonies. They work very well and are a great way to attract interest and support from the wider public. What has been done as well is if the target species is not really suitable for this type of event is to either set up a live camera feed into a centre or use another readily seen species as the “in” to encourage people along and then when staff talk to the public they can raise awareness of the target species. When dpne well they are a superb tool for getting wider popular support. Dom
________________________________ Sent: Tuesday, 4 December 2012, 10:26
Simon, you may be right – it’s always the least visible species that are the hardest to make the public care about – but what sort of infrastructure could be set up now to view wild OBPs near Melbourne? I think if you could set up a hide and charge entry fees for a guaranteed look at a free flying OBP, you’d have a long queue at the door.
It’s easy with seals and penguins, but perhaps this species just isn’t suitable for this kind of thing.
Peter Shute
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Simon, you may be right – it’s always the least visible species that are the hardest to make the public care about – but what sort of infrastructure could be set up now to view wild OBPs near Melbourne? I think if you could set up a hide and charge entry fees for a guaranteed look at a free flying OBP, you’d have a long queue at the door.
It’s easy with seals and penguins, but perhaps this species just isn’t suitable for this kind of thing.
Peter Shute
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Debbie, I disagree with Flannery and others. Australia does care. Conservation bodies, scientists, national parks and others have had control of wildlife for too long. We have made it more and more difficult for anyone to engage with, learn about or understand nature. Orange-bellied Parrot is a case example. For years, areas near Melbourne where these birds occur have been fenced off to public – even when they were more numerous. In other parts of the world there would have been visitor infrastructure and hides put up and a concerted effort by the conservation groups to show people the birds. Just recently, BirdLife has been concerned about the number of people being able to access the WTP (when only just over 300 people have keys). Meanwhile, critically endangered birds exist in places where tens of thousands of visitors go at places like Mai Po in Hong Kong or Titchwell in the UK. Before Australians attempt to engage or connect people we hastily impose regulations to ‘protect’ wildlife by fencing it off (physically or regulatory). Here’s another brutal example – DSE is currently chasing teenagers for climbing on the back of a dead Humpback Whale on the Great Ocean Road. Natural curiosity drives kids to do that sort of thing and whist a slap on the wrist might be called for, the parents can do that. Instead however, DSE has ensured these teenagers and all their friends will hate conservationists for the rest of their lives. Plus, a strong and clear message has been sent to every Victorian – if you pass within 300m of a whale carcass you can be prosecuted. In much of the state my kids can’t even collect shells on beaches any more. What is the world coming to? As conservationists, we have to take a long hard look at ourselves and wonder if we are to blame for the lack of ‘care’. If we cared more, would we encourage people to engage with wildlife rather than loving animals to death, meanwhile ensuring that only us and our closest friends get to enjoy the experience? Regards, Simon. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Simon Mustoe Tel: +61 (0) 405220830 | Skype simonmustoe | Email simonmustoe@ecology-solutions.com.au
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