AUS
NZ
UK
CA
USA
IND
Highlights
- The Australian government has laid down a ‘Threatened Species Action Plan’.
- The plan features ways to safeguard the threatened species and natural habitats of Australia.
- The plan has been initiated with the objective of preventing new extinctions.
In its quest for defending nature and wildlife, the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water has come up with an action plan. The Threatened Species Action Plan 2022–2032 charts a path to protect, manage, and restore the country’s threatened species and significant natural places.
It should be noted that this action plan is based upon the 2021–2026 action plan, which was created after discussions with experts, community representatives, natural resource managers, scientists, conservation and social groups, and First Nation peoples.
Takeaways from the Threatened Species Action Plan 2022–2032
- The new focus areas are suggestive of heightened ambitions and take into consideration the challenges identified in the 2022 State of the Environment report.
- The plan has been launched with the aim of preventing new extinctions.
- The plan features the addition of 10 more threatened species that are at imminent risk of extinction to the list of 100 priority species.
- In addition to 6 islands, the plan has announced 14 new priority places.
- The plan commits to protect and conserve over 30% of Australia’s land mass.
- The plan focuses on better and enhanced involvement of First Nations peoples in the management of endangered species and ecological communities.
- The plan focuses on handling the effects of feral cats, foxes, and gamba grass as major threats to several threatened species.
- The plan will continue to educate and empower the community to participate in recovery processes.
Priority Species
The Australian government reviewed more than 1,800 species listed under the EPBC Act as Critically Endangered or vulnerable. The parameters included factors like risk of extinction, benefits, and importance to people.
The 110 priority species list under the Threatened Species Action Plan features 22 birds, such as the Australasian bittern, black-eared miner, Carnaby’s cockatoo, Christmas Island goshawk accipiter, and Eastern curlew; 21 mammals, for example the Australian sea-lion, central rock-rat, Gilbert’s potoroo, greater bilby, koala, New Holland mouse, northern brushtail possum, and northern quoll; 9 fish species, such as the freshwater sawfish, grey nurse shark, Murray hardyhead, and red handfish; and 6 frogs, 11 reptiles, 11 invertebrates, and 30 plants.
