Media Release - 24-06-07
Koala nomination rejected
The NSW Scientific Committee has made a preliminary determination not to support an endangered population nomination for Koalas on the far south coast. The ‘Five Forests’ Koala population occupies coastal forests from Dignams Creek to Wapengo Lake and were nominated as endangered in 2001.
Mr. Robert Bertram, who nominated the population and has been providing additional information to the Committee over the years, described the preliminary determination as generally inadequate and a poor outcome for Koalas and for science.
“While acknowledging that extensive canopy dieback, logging and urban development has reduced Koala habitat quality in the area, contrary to the information provided, the Committee infer that Koalas numbers have not declined as a result,” he said.
In determining the conservation status of endangered populations the Scientific Committee must consider if the population is disjunct from other NSW populations, genetically distinct or otherwise of significant conservation value.
“Contrary to the information provided and based on advice from the NPWS the Committee suggests Koalas now live at low densities throughout the south east and the Five Forests. The NPWS made the same claim to the US Department of the Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service in 2000 and they rejected it. Recent surveys undertaken by Forests NSW found no evidence of Koalas where they had previously been located in the Five Forests, demonstrating their failure to maintain the species.
“Differing from the available genetic information the Committee suggest that the nominated Koalas are not genetically distinct, even though the closest colony to the south was translocated from a Victorian ‘island’ population and have been through a genetic bottleneck. The only other documented Koala colony in the southeast is on the tablelands. When the history of this declining colony is combined with the fact that the NPWS has refused to undertake a genetic analysis of the tablelands colony, the evidence suggests that these Koalas too were translocated from ‘island’ populations.
“The Committee conclude with the suggestion that the last endemic Koala population in the Bateman Bioregion and possibly the whole south east, has no conservation value relative to other NSW Koala populations” Mr. Bertram said.
“Unfortunately, the Preliminary Determination falls well short of being adequate, fails to resolve the issues and raises questions as to the Scientific Committee’s interpretation of the Act and their independence from Government policy. I strongly urge all those who care about our last Koalas to write to the Committee objecting to their determination”.
Submissions must be sent to; Suzanne Chate, Scientific Committee, PO Box 1967, Hurstville, NSW 1481 and be received by 3 August 2007.
email; bertram.r@acr.net.au or contact@fiveforests.net