sussan law, Australian Minister for the Environmentconfirmed through a statement published on the official website of the Australian government that the populations of Koalas that inhabit the communities of New South Wales, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory have been classified as “endangered”.
However, the cause of this devastating event shows that the habitat of koalas is affected by the felling of trees, prolonged drought and forest fires caused by excessive human activity.
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It should be mentioned that the herbivorous marsupial, according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)has been declared a vulnerable species years ago.
- FIRES, AGRICULTURE, MINING, URBAN DEVELOPMENT AND FORESTRY:
THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR DECREASING THE POPULATION OF KOALAS
Did you know that they mainly inhabit the coastal strips and eucalyptus forests in the eastern states?
As a result of the aforementioned, a report released by the Australian Conservation Foundationhe himself patented that only in the last decade, the Australian regency granted 63 projects that cause the disappearance of more than 25,000 hectares of koala habitat.
It is necessary to refer to an investigation carried out during 2021 by the Parliament of New south Wales: He anticipated that, given the successive threats and dispossession of their habitat, koalas could disappear before 2050.
And as if that were not enough, the report remarked as “unreliable and outdated” the optimal number of koalas alive and estimated a population of approximately 36,000 individuals in the Australian territory. And also, he warned that if urgent measures are not taken, extinction could increase in the short term.
On the other hand, scientists affirmed that climate change harms and worsens the survival of koalas. Thousands of them lose their lives as a result of the constant forest fires!
Taking into account a study carried out by the World Wide Fund for Naturecalculated that the forest fires at the end of 2019 and the beginning of 2020 took the life and injured more than 60,000 koalas, in turn, detailed that the flames invaded more than 17 million hectares.
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It is time to act, for this the government is preparing a recovery plan that will be presented shortly. State sources reported that 50 million Australian dollars (31 million euros) will be disbursed to protect and restore the habitats of native animals on the island. “We are taking unprecedented action to protect them”said the Australian Minister for the Environment.
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“This listing highlights the challenges facing the species”expressed Sussan Ley. “Together we can ensure a healthy future for koalas and this decision… will play a key role in that process.”
However, before the minister’s words, the voice of environmentalists is heard once again:
Josey Sharradmember of the International Fund for Animal Welfare He emphasized: “We should never have allowed things to get to the point where we risk losing a national icon. If we can’t protect an iconic species endemic to Australia, what chance do lesser known but no less important species stand?” “
This sad news makes it clear that the environmental laws of Australia they have been weakened by complicity from owners who only want to take property for their benefit. At first glance you can see the greed and selfishness that human beings possess.