Coalition fails to meet endangered species targets to stem decline of birds, mammals and plants

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Ecology experts say failure to hit five-year goals concerning although feral cat progress promising

A Coalition government strategy to save Australia’s endangered wildlife has failed to meet targets to stem the decline of many birds, mammals and plants.

The final-year report of the five-year threatened species strategy, which was introduced under the former environment minister Greg Hunt, has found five out of the strategy’s 13 targets were met, three were partially met and five were not met.

The targets not met include three that aimed to improve the trajectory of 20 birds, 20 mammals and 30 plants, including species such as the red-tailed black cockatoo and the eastern barred bandicoot.

The report finds this goal was only achieved for six birds, eight mammals and 10 plants.

For some of those species an improved trajectory did not mean that population numbers had improved in the five-year time frame – their decline was simply occurring at a slower rate than previously.

A goal to eradicate feral cats from five islands was not achieved, while a target to cull 2 million feral cats across Australia was considered partially met at more than 1.5 million.

https://amp-theguardian-com.cdn.amp...s-to-stem-decline-of-birds-mammals-and-plants

 

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Here is another relevant article

Australia’s threatened species plan has failed on several counts. Without change, more extinctions are assured

Australia is globally renowned for its abysmal conservation record – in roughly 230 years we’ve overseen the extinction of more mammal species than any other nation. The federal government’s Threatened Species Strategy was meant to address this confronting situation.

The final report on the five-year strategy has just been published. In it, Threatened Species Commissioner Dr Sally Box acknowledges while the plan had some important wins, it fell short in several areas, writing:

…there is much more work to do to ensure our native plants and animals thrive into the future, and this will require an ongoing collective effort.

Clearly, Australia must urgently chart a course towards better environmental and biodiversity outcomes. That means reflecting honestly on our successes and failures so far.

Australia’s threatened species plan has failed on several counts. Without change, more extinctions are assured