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Highlights:
- Australian government releases a 10-year plan to prevent endangered species extinction.
- The list of endangered Australian wildlife now has 110 species, with an addition of 10 new ones.
- According to the Australian government, this action plan will safeguard about 50 million hectares of land and sea by 2027.
On 4 October 2022, Environment and Water Minister of Australia, Tanya Plibersek, released a threatened species action plan to prevent any further extinctions of Australian wildlife.
According to the State of the Environment 2021 report, more mammals have gone extinct in Australia than on any other continent. This worrying stat is the primary reason that pushed Anthony Albanese's government to create this new 10-year pathway for protecting, managing, and restoring the nation’s threatened species as well as their natural habitats.
This "Threatened Species Action Plan: Towards Zero Extinctions" lays out a course for the protection and recovery of threatened species over the following ten years. By 2027, the strategy will also safeguard an extra 50 million hectares of land and sea, enhance the trajectory of 110 species, and conserve 20 natural locations. The plan also highlights crucial actions for the recovery of threatened species and natural communities, directed by experts and the Australian Public, and gives a vision to motivate practical on-the-ground activities.
Talking about this 10-year pathway, Tanya Plibersek said,
Objectives and Targets for the plan
As per the report published by the Australian government, below are the key objectives and targets of this action plan:
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Data Source- ASX website dated 14 October 2022
Moreover, this action plan will be accomplished through a series of 5-year targets and actions under four different objectives. The year 22 marks in this initial 5-year plan will aid in the recovery of endangered species and ecological communities. Each goal is supported by concrete steps with set deadlines, and it will be reviewed in 2027 to make sure the efforts are still strategic and timely.
The Australian government is investing AU$224.5 million in the Saving Native Species program to improve outcomes for endangered native plants and animals as part of its commitment to safeguarding vulnerable species.
Reason for Australian wildlife extinction
According to Australian conservation organisations, one of the causes of extinction is Australia's dismal track record in safeguarding its rare species, which is mostly attributable to habitat degradation. Due to this, global warming is increased, which causes extreme weather and bushfires. In eastern Australia, the Black Summer fires scorched 5.8 million hectares while killing or displacing an estimated 1-3 billion animals in total.
