Category: Stories

Share this page IT WORKS! SHUT-DOWN WILDLIFE TRADE BUYER by BUYER Here’s a very good news story after decades of a related horror story – with some way still to go for redemption.The shameful trade in kangaroo body parts, backed by Australians federal and state governments and major political parties, declined again in May thanks to US, Australian and European citizen campaigns. The goal: to end the demand for kangaroo skins for human apparel, including luxury fashion brands and motorcycle gear and popular for sports shoes like soccer cleats. Adidas, one of the last shoe brands still using kangaroo leather, announced it would phase out the practice. Australia’s Kangaroos Alive team, including First Nations representatives, has been campaigning with European partners to stop the kangaroo skin trade. Australian kangaroo advocacy groups protested in front of domestic shoe stores in support.At the same time, The US Centre for a Humane Economy (CHE) took another credit for its ‘Kangaroos Are Not Shoes’ campaign aimed at persuading markets to use alternatives to the skin of the beloved Australian icon and finally shut down a long-running, brutal wildlife trade. The world’s biggest land-based wildlife slaughter Photo Credit: Australian Wildlife Protection Council (AWPC)Australian businesses, with state approval, conduct the world’s biggest land-based wildlife slaughter and have for decades. It is a horrific native animal butchery and export trade that has been resolutely ignored or denied in the public arena while Australian politicians and media lecture other countries about slaughtering whales and baby seals. The domestic silence and approval has been a reason to take the opposition campaigns to overseas markets.CHE reported that Japanese-owned ASICS is similarly phasing out the use of kangaroo skins for sports shoes. Below, excerpts from news releases by both organisations with more detail and a look at the next targets. ‘Kangaroos are not shoes’ campaign news “Wayne Pacelle, the president of the Center for a Humane Economy, received a pledge from the CEO of Adidas at the company’s annual general meeting in Fürth (in Germany in May). Nike, Puma, New Balance, Diadora, and U.K.-based Sokito made prior announcements about divorcing their companies from the kangaroo skin trade.“With the rapid-fire announcements from ASICS and Adidas, we’re witnessing the dismantling of a supply chain built on bloodshed and the orphaning of kangaroo joeys,” said Pacelle. “The foreign markets for kangaroo skins are collapsing, and that can only mean good news for the iconic marsupials of Australia.”“ASICS has acknowledged a fundamental truth: the commercial slaughter of wild kangaroos for their skins is neither ethical nor morally defensible,” said Jennifer Skiff, director of international programs at the Center for a Humane Economy and lead of the organization’s Kangaroos Are Not Shoes campaign. “ASICS’s innovative materials outperform kangaroo leather, removing any justification for continuing this inhumane trade.“With ASICS stepping away from kangaroo leather, the Center for a Humane Economy and Animal Wellness Action are ramping up efforts to persuade Mizuno — the last major athletic shoe brand still using kangaroo leather — to make the same commitment.“Complementing the work with corporations, Animal Wellness Action is also spearheading support for the Kangaroo Protection Act — a bill in the U.S. Congress to ban the import and sale of products made from kangaroo parts. Learn more and take action at KangaroosAreNotShoes.org” The European campaign Sydney-based Kangaroos Alive wrote “German sports brand ADIDAS reported that they will stop all use of kangaroo skins in their football boots. ADIDAS CEO Bjorn Gulden made the announcement at their AGM last week, saying ‘We haven’t purchased any kangaroo leather since August of last year. By the end of 2025, Adidas’ production will be 100 percent kangaroo leather-free’. Building on Australian international campaigns in the 1990s to end a Russian market for kangaroo meat and push back on Chinese interest for same, also UK’s VIVA campaign ending supermarket retailing of kangaroo meat, [detailed in my book Injustice… ], in 2019 Kangaroos Alive, “helped create a coalition of EU groups to stop the import of kangaroo products into Europe. This campaign was launched following European screenings of their film KANGAROO A Love Hate Story. The film was screened in the European Parliament and to several big brands, including ADIDAS.“The EU coalition first met with ADIDAS management in Germany in 2019 who pushed back on our requests. What followed was a long public campaign lobbying ADIDAS. However we did have immediate success with other major European fashion brands including PRADA, GUCCI, DIADORA and Europe’s largest Supermarket chain CARREFOUR. They all stopped using or selling kangaroo body parts demonstrating openness to protecting wildlife from harm. Kangaroos Alive published this list of companies that were using kangaroo leather or meat in 2018. Those that have stopped since, thanks to citizen lobbying (including the viewing of the KANGAROO film) are noted by a green cross. That would now include ASICS. Kangaroos Alive’s media release continued:“Over the years since we started campaigning in Europe with our EU partners, Kangaroos Alive have helped convince other major international companies to stop using kangaroo skins. Including German brand PUMA, Dutch Sports store INTERSPORT, and the world’s biggest sports store French franchise DECATHLON. “Special mentions to GAIA in Belgium and Pro Wildlife in Germany who got the ADIDAS campaign started in 2019; and to other coalition members including LAV Italy, World Animal Protection The Netherlands, Animal Welfare Institute, Voiceless, Back to Country, coordinated by Eurogroup for Animals. And special thanks to all our colleagues who have pressured ADIDAS in this campaign including Animals Australia, Victorian Kangaroos Alliance, Animal Justice Party, Center for a Humane Economy, Their Turn and NY Class.“Last year co-founder Mick McIntyre travelled to Vietnam because it is one of the world’s biggest importers of kangaroo skins. The screening [of KANGAROO…] in Ho Chi Minh City – home to ADIDAS’s largest shoe factory – was a big success. Representatives from several corporations, including ADIDAS attended the screening. “Looking ahead as we celebrate this latest victory for kangaroos, there are still many brands who are part of the killing of Australian

Share this page Citizen campaign = Council vote AGAINST kangaroo industry “We are SO delighted to announce that the Shire of Yarra Ranges Council, in the state of Victoria have voted in favour of advocating against the kangaroo industry operating within the Shire. This is a HUGE victory, and we are so thrilled and grateful to the Councillors who UNANIMOUSLY supported the motion. A special thanks to Cr Len Cox OAM for leading the motion, Cr Tim Heenan for seconding, and Cr Fiona McAllister for her heartfelt support.Thank you to local environmentalist Peter Preuss [also onetime AWPC president] for spearheading this campaign so diligently, and to those who joined him on our working group – Helena (our coordinator), Aunty Janet, Dr Tash, Mike, Peter and Andrea, Kate, and Meaghan. Everyone has worked so tirelessly. And to the community members who have rallied behind this campaign – written, called, shared, contributed, showed up… you’re all incredible.There were lots of amazing quotes that we wanted to capture from the Councillor’s comments. Here are a couple that we wrote down as faithfully as possible, though maybe not exactly verbatim! ‘I think [this motion] is one of the most important things to have come in front of this Council for many years.’- Cr Len Cox OAM ‘They are part of the makeup of Australia, and they have been here much longer than us.’ – Cr Tim Heenan‘The harvesting scheme does not pass the moral test… it does not look to me that it has been managed appropriately’. – Cr Peter McIlwain‘If we were talking about ‘harvesting’ koalas or dogs there would be such an outcry… in our part of the world I see no need to kill kangaroos in this context, for money.’ – Cr Fiona McAllister‘If we are going to care for Country under our Acknowledgment [of Country], then we need to care for all of it, and that includes the kangaroos’. – Cr Jeff MarriottSo where to from here? We wait for the Council to formally notify the state government that they want the Shire of Yarra Ranges to be excluded from the commercial kangaroo industry. If Victorian Labor listens to the voice of their constituents, they will grant this request and the Shire will be exempt from commercial shooting. If they ignore it, the Council’s decision remains a strong indictment against the kangaroo industry, and will serve as a reinforcing precedent for other councils also seeking an exemption. They have dealt another blow to this vile wildlife trade, and stand firmly on the right side of history. This is a vital win, proving that Australians want the killing of kangaroos to stop. The assignment now is to get all councils to stop the commercial kangaroo industry operating within their borders! We are inspired by local environmentalist Peter Preuss “I believe we saw democracy in action on April 8. While obviously not everyone agrees that the commercial killing of kangaroos is unwarranted, unacceptably cruel and unsustainable, the view of the majority of Yarra Ranges residents, workers and visitors to the Yarra Ranges was upheld. The commercial killing of kangaroos is simply unwanted.”Huge thanks to all involved in the Yarra Shire win and keep up the great work!!Photos: VicKangas.org Tamsin Ramone VisitYarraValley.com.au Advocacy group Kangaroos Alive added: Dedicated to protecting our national icon“Kangaroos are intelligent, sentient beings, living in family groups and have their own songlines, language, culture and dreaming. As they traverse their own dreaming tracks, they continue to activate the earth’s songlines for the survival of all living things.” from Back to Country and Uncle Max Harrison We at Kangaroos Alive acknowledge the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands on which we live and work and pay our respects to Elders past, present and future. Close to our heart is the Yuin Declaration For Kangaroos

Share this page Victory amidst wildlife crisis: Sydney council joins fight against deadly rat poisons In a significant step for wildlife protection, Camden Council has become the latest in a line of local governments to eliminate Second-Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs) from all their facilities. This watershed moment comes hot on the heels of alarming new research revealing these deadly poisons are infiltrating Australia’s most iconic marsupial species. Growing movement for change Camden Council’s decisive action shows momentum for change is building across New South Wales. Following Albury City’s pioneering decision to discontinue their use of SGARs earlier this year, Camden’s commitment to wildlife-friendly rodent management proves that councils are increasingly recognising the devastating ecological impacts of these indiscriminate killers. “By removing SGARs from all council buildings and parks, Camden has created a safer environment for nearly 200 native species in their region,” notes Animal Liberation’s campaign director. “Their swift response after learning about the risks shows that change isn’t just possible — it’s happening now”. Devastating evidence of marsupial poisoning While council actions so far are cause for celebration, groundbreaking research has uncovered a disturbing new dimension to this crisis. SGARs are now confirmed to be poisoning some of Australia’s most beloved and endangered marsupials, with catastrophic consequences: 50% of tested marsupials, including Tasmanian Devils and Quolls, carried SGARs in their bodies 21% contained multiple poison types, creating deadly toxic cocktails Up to 17.3% likely died directly from SGAR poisoning — not predators, not habitat loss, but poisons sold freely in stores and online. Perhaps most alarming was the discovery that one Chuditch, or Western Quoll, contained one of the highest concentrations of SGARs ever recorded in a wild carnivore. For species already teetering on the edge of extinction, these poisons could be delivering the final blow. Deadly chain reaction through ecosystems Unlike traditional rodent management methods, SGARs create a ripple effect throughout ecosystems. When a Tasmanian Devil scavenges a poisoned carcass or a Spotted-tailed Quoll consumes contaminated prey, they ingest these long-lasting toxins. The victim suffers for days — weakened, disoriented, bleeding internally — before succumbing to a slow, painful death.This expanding body of evidence paints a grim picture: products marketed for “rodent control” are decimating Australia’s unique wildlife. From Powerful Owls to Tasmanian Devils, from Wedge-tailed Eagles to Eastern Quolls, and everyone in between — SGARs are pushing already threatened species closer to extinction. The Path Forward While Camden and Albury demonstrate leadership, much work remains to be done. The Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority continues to allow the sale of these deadly poisons online and in retail stores across the country, despite mounting evidence of their ecological harm.But together, we can accelerate change. Every signature on the petition to ban SGARs in NSW builds pressure on decision-makers. Every council that eliminates these poisons creates a safer habitat for native wildlife. And every voice raised in support of alternative rodent management brings us closer to breaking this toxic cycle forever.Will you join the movement to protect Australia’s remarkable wildlife from these indiscriminate killers? Sign the petition today at www.al.org.au/ban-rat-poisons and help ensure these iconic Australian species survive for generations to come.The dominoes are falling. From Albury to Camden, the tide is turning against SGARs. Your voice could be the one that tips the scales toward statewide action. What Should You Look For? Products containing SGARs are often sold under brand names or generic labels that can make them hard to identify at first glance. Commonly available SGAR products include: Brodifacoum-based products: Often sold under brands like ‘Talon’ or ‘Ditrac’. Bromadiolone-based products: Found in brands such as ‘Mortein Rat Kill’, ‘Just One Bite’, or ‘RatSak’. Difenacoum-based products: Less common but still available under certain control labels, such as ‘The Big Cheese’ or ‘Ratshot’. These products are often brightly packaged and placed alongside everyday household items, making them easy to purchase but devastatingly harmful when used. If you spot these products being sold or suspect they’re being used in your neighborhood, report them immediately so advocacy groups can take action.

Share this page Make Fences Wildlife-friendly, Cut The Old Style On the day they moved in, two new property owners were confronted with something awful: an Eastern Grey kangaroo struggling, caught on a barbed wire fence.Doug Gimesy is a wildlife photojournalist, and with his partner had bought a 120-acre property, at Wongarra in the vicinity of the Great Ocean Road in Victoria. They planned to rewild some of their land and naturally were wildlife-friendly. A big tree-planting project was already on the drawing board. When I caught up with Doug for AWPC, he was busy with insulating the roof cavity of the house that needs renovation. Earlier, some outdoor fixtures also badly needed renovation. Since May last year, Doug became unexpectedly busy for months and then a little bit famous by sharing publicly a mammoth task of compassion he undertook. The first act of rewilding was to single-handedly take down kilometres of barbed wire: the top two strands of the old fencing around and within his property. AWPC salutes him for the public awareness he has been raising. Barbed wire traps and kills native species trying to travel through the landscape, in both rural and urban country. Closely-spaced top wires of any kind, barbed or plain, can catch and twist a kangaroo or wallaby leg and leave the animal to an agonizing fate – hanging upside down for days. Of that first kangaroo struggling in the wire Doug says: “Of course we cut the fence so it could escape – but I also decided: not on my watch.” He got to work with a pair of wire/bolt cutters taking off the top strands, rolling up the wire, lowering the height of the fence for easier passage by kangaroos. Small kangaroos, joeys, indeed most wildlife that doesn’t jump high and doesn’t have wings actually goes under wire fences. That left Doug with the issue of what to do with the bottom wires of his fences. As in many cases, they scraped the ground and left no room for wildlife to transit underneath or just above. Doug says on the property they enjoy the company of kangaroos and wallabies, snakes, lizards, echidnas, even koalas, and rich birdlife. Taking off the bottom strands looked onerous and snake-risky with high grass around. A fencer quote made a professional job financially untenable. The answer here, as likely for many landholders, was to cut openings in the fence at certain intervals to make safe wildlife corridors. What are the ingredients of a wildlife-friendly fence? A number of AWPC members, myself included, live in a NSW local government area where the council has an enlightened fencing standard that was devised to be ‘wildlife-friendly’ – the legacy of an earlier time and community activism. Asking the current council to enforce its own standard is another battle, as developers/landowners in partnership with fencing contractors continue to erect lethal and impenetrable fences that trap and injure and keep native animals from reaching water, food and shelter and sometimes force them into roadways.The key elements of this fencing standard offer a good guide for any landholder or developer who wants to be compassionate and allow wildlife to transit to food, water and shelter while also being kind to horses or other stock being enclosed – considering that we are probably talking primarily to small-block owners and subdividers.No barbed wire. Height limit 1.2 metres (unless higher required for stock like deer)  one 4.0 mm high tensile, high visibility PVC coated wire on top (‘horse sighter’ or similar wire)  one carry 2.5mm high tensile wire at least 300mm below the top wire.  This distance between the top two wires is to avoid kangaroos/wallabies catching and twisting a leg as they jump over. one bottom 2.5 mm high tensile wire at least 150mm above the ground.  This distance from the ground is to allow passage of wildlife at ground level.  Consider small joeys, echidnas, lizards, wombats… Often-used wire mesh and hinged wire or ringlock can trap animals, as wildlife rescuers testify, hence these materials are not recommended in wildlife-friendly fencing. As I was finishing this report for the AWPC website, I heard about a heroic rescue by a local wildlife hospital that regularly treats kangaroo victims of hazardous fences. In this case a large male kangaroo was found at a rural residential property with metres of barbed wire wrapped around a lower leg. Barbs were embedded in the leg. A very difficult disentanglement and rescue/treatment followed. Barbed wire also a killer in urban areas Doug had much to say about the inappropriate use of barbed wire in urban settings. He rescued grey-headed flying foxes from this nasty trap during his five years as a wildlife rescuer in the Melbourne area. Starting out visually documenting rescues, he says he soon found himself unable to stay a bystander while animals became impaled on the barbs. Councils sometimes erect barbed wire around institutions, even around train stations or around construction sites. Some private property owners and businesses reach for the barbed wire to deter thieves. However, as Doug says, a canny thief will have wire cutters and a blanket to get over. Meanwhile the animals pay the price.“I’ve seen flying foxes, owls and possums caught, in about that order of frequency, a suger glider once… It’s just impossible to justify having barbed wire in urban environments.” The Australian Citizen Science Association has a website called ‘Entangled Wildlife Australia’ started by wildlife-friendly fencing advocates and educators. The ‘entangled’ website is collecting data and offers assistance to citizens who want to disentangle Australia from the barbaric barbed wire and related harmful fence-design habit. Check it out here

Share this page Doing Good And Restoring The Land: A Wild Business Model The AWPC, focusing on restoring respect and co-existence with the land, plants, and animals native to Australia, is keen to showcase great solutions and ways to turn around the effects of dispossession and destruction that accompanied economic models imposed on the landscape since colonial takeover. Here’s an inspiring experiment of renewal and regeneration within a private sector, business framework. AWPC thanks our public broadcaster, the ABC, for this story and photogenic content. Also noted: the AWPC website owes considerable thanks to Canva for its looks and imagery. Why mention it here? We were delighted to see a family partnership related to Canva is the driving force behind this solution for biodiversity. Learn more

Share this page Australian city shows how to stop rat poison threat to wildlife “In January 2025, Albury City Council took a groundbreaking step to protect native wildlife. ”Australia is home to some of the most unique and extraordinary wildlife species on earth. But a silent killer is threatening their existence: rat poisons known as Second-Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides. These potent poisons, commonly known as ‘SGARs’, are wreaking havoc on native species, from iconic eagles to curious quolls.In a remarkable act of leadership, Albury City Council has removed these toxic chemicals from all council-managed facilities — setting a powerful example of how we can protect Australia’s biodiversity while fostering coexistence with the wild world. Following a national audit of all local governments in Australia by Animal Liberation, which revealed the use of SGARs at 12 major sites — including the Albury Botanical Gardens and Albury Airport — In January 2025, Albury City Council took this groundbreaking step to protect native wildlife. The council decided to eliminate these poisons entirely from its management programs. This action has directly protected over 350 bird species and countless mammals who call the region home.Albury’s decision is not just a local triumph, it’s a call to action for councils across New South Wales and beyond. By removing SGARs, Albury has drastically reduced the risk of secondary poisoning for predatory and scavenging species who play vital roles in maintaining ecological balance. This initiative demonstrates that respecting wildlife and coexisting with nature is not only possible, but essential for preserving Australia’s rich biodiversity. The Devastating Impact of Rat Poisons Rat poisons like SGARs are insidious killers. They work by preventing blood from clotting, leading to slow, painful deaths from internal bleeding. While intended for rodents, these poisons do not discriminate—they infiltrate entire ecosystems through food chains. Native predators, like owls and eagles, often consume poisoned prey, leading to secondary poisoning that can devastate local populations. Recent studies reveal the alarming scale of this problem: 92% of tested Powerful Owl mortalities across the Greater Sydney were linked to rodenticides1; 83% of Powerful Owls tested in Victoria had rodenticides in their systems, with 61% showing potentially lethal levels1; 74% of Tasmanian Wedge-tailed Eagles tested positive for SGARs, with 22% containing likely lethal concentrations2; 73% of Southern Boobooks in Western Australia were found to be exposed to rodenticides.3 Australia’s poisoned past The use of poisons to control wildlife in Australia has a long and troubling history. From the early 19th century, substances like arsenic and strychnine were widely used to kill dingoes and rabbits. These poisons have been followed by the deployment in Australia of 1080, a cruel poison banned in most other countries. These practices have left scars on ecosystems contributing to Australia’s tragic distinction as having one of the highest rates of mammalian extinctions in the world.4 Imagine the haunting silence left behind when owls vanish from an area due to poisoning. These animals are not just victims — they are vital threads in the intricate web of life that sustains us allRat poisons like SGARs represent a continuation of this toxic legacy. Despite their well-documented risks, these deadly products remain alarmingly easy to purchase in retail and online stores across the country. Unlike other nations, such as the United States and Canada, which have implemented strict regulations limiting their use, Australia lags behind in protecting its native species from this preventable harm. This lack of oversight leaves countless animals vulnerable to the toxic ripple effects of SGARs. Breaking the toxic cycle: call for change Albury’s success shows us what is possible when we prioritise coexistence with wildlife over convenience. However, much work remains to be done. Across New South Wales and Australia, SGARs are still widely used in residential areas and council programs. Advocacy groups like Animal Liberation are leading efforts to push for statewide bans on these poisons through petitions and public awareness campaignsYou can be part of this change: Sign the petition to ban SGARs: join thousands demanding action to ban SGARs across NSW. Thank Albury City Council: show your support for their leadership in protecting wildlife. Report sightings of SGARs in your area: if you see SGAR products being used or sold, let advocacy groups know—they rely on community vigilance. What Should You Look For? Products containing SGARs are often sold under brand names or generic labels that can make them hard to identify at first glance.Commonly available SGAR products include: Brodifacoum-based products: Often sold under brands like ‘Talon’ or ‘Ditrac’. Bromadiolone-based products: Found in brands such as ‘Mortein Rat Kill’, ‘Just One Bite’, or ‘RatSak’. Difenacoum-based products: Less common but still available under certain control labels, such as ‘The Big Cheese’ or ‘Ratshot’. These products are often brightly packaged and placed alongside everyday household items, making them easy to purchase but devastatingly harmful when used. If you spot these products being sold or suspect they’re being used in your neighborhood, report them immediately so advocacy groups can take action. Old fashioned mouse and rat traps avoid the toxic widespread impact on wildlife Co-existence and respect: a future worth fighting for Albury City Council’s decision is a beacon of hope for Australia’s wildlife — a reminder that change is possible when communities take bold steps toward protecting nature. By following their lead, we can create a future where native species thrive alongside us rather than suffer because of us. Together, we can turn 2025 into a year remembered not for extinction but for action — a year when Australians chose respect over harm and coexistence over destruction. Let’s make it happen — for our wildlife, our ecosystems, and future generations who deserve to inherit a land teeming with life rather than loss. References Cooke, R.; Whitely, P.; Jin, Y.; Death, C.; Weston, M.; Carter, N.; White, J. Widespread exposure of powerful owls to second-generation anticoagulant rodenticides in Australia spans an urban to agricultural and forest landscape. Sci. Tot. Environ. 2022, 819, 153024. Pay, J.; Katzner, T.; Hawkins, C.; Barmuta, L.; Brown, W.; Wiersma, J.;

Photo Credit: Stock Image from Freepik.com Share this page $13 billion, 30-year flop: failure to halt Murray-Darling River decline Habitat, wildlife survival, Indigenous cultural relations to Australia’s indispensable inland rivers and safe drinking water for river communities  are continuing to degrade according to an independent study assessing approaches to restoring environmental flows in the Murray Darling system. The following article by ANU ecologist Jamie Pittock also includes a video clip  of Indigenous bonding with the rivers and the loss caused by federal and state environmental mismanagement. Some A$13 billion in taxpayer dollars and 30 years of policy reform have failed to arrest the devastating decline in the health of Australia’s most important river system, the Murray-Darling Basin, new research shows. The four-year study released today involved 12 scientists from Australia’s leading universities, and draws on data from 1980 to 2023. It is the most comprehensive report card to date on government policies to protect the Murray-Darling. We found expensive and contentious reforms, including the once-vaunted Murray-Darling Basin Plan, have mostly failed to improve outcomes for people and nature along the river system. The result is deeply alarming for a natural asset so fundamental to Australia’s environmental, cultural and economic wellbeing. Here, we outline our findings, and present a plan to turn this situation around. The findings are alarming for a natural asset so fundamental to Australia. Shutterstock A river system in peril The Murray-Darling river system starts in southern Queensland, winds through New South Wales and Victoria and reaches the sea near Adelaide in South Australia. Historically, state governments have allowed too much water to be taken from the system, primarily to irrigate crops. This has caused extensive environmental damage such as toxic blue-green algae blooms, dramatic falls in bird and fish populations and undrinkable town water supplies, to name just a few. The damage has been exacerbated by invasive species, climate change, dams that block water flows, and bush clearing which makes water running into rivers more salty. What’s more, colonisation dispossessed the nearly 50 Indigenous nations in the basin. They now collectively have rights over less than 0.2% of surface water in the river system. Government reform to improve the health of the basin dates back more than three decades. In 1994, Australian governments agreed to cap further licenses to extract water from the Murray-Darling. In 2008, Prime Minister John Howard’s “once and for all” reform, known as the Water Act, became law. It aimed to reallocate water from irrigation to the environment. The reform is largely being implemented through the $13 billion Murray Darling Basin Plan enacted in 2012. The historic deal between state and federal governments was supposed to rein in the water extracted by farmers and make sure the environment got the water it needed. Almost $8 billion was spent implementing the plan to June 2023. But has this massive taxpayer investment delivered the promised benefits for people and nature? Our new findings suggest the answer is largely no. Despite massive taxpayer funds, the basin reforms have not delivered. Shutterstock Applying expert eyes When the basin plan was adopted, governments cut funding to the independent audit which monitored the river system’s environmental health. It was replaced with far less effective monitoring systems. The new systems did not set clear targets to be achieved, or assess real-world outcomes for people and the environment. For example, a government might measure the timing and frequency of water flowing at specific river locations, rather than the numbers of threatened fish species across the basin. The indicators are also complex and monitored by government agencies and their consultants, so the results are not independent. For this study, we developed our own monitoring system. It involved 27 indicators of success across the themes of Indigenous, environmental and social wellbeing, economic performance and compliance with water laws. We used publicly available data spanning more than 40 years. The study released today reports our essential findings. Scientists were concerned about inadequate monitoring of the basin plan. Shutterstock What we found Troublingly, we found that after more than a decade of the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, 74% of success indicators were not met. This means there was either no improvement or worsening conditions. In particular, only two of 12 environmental indicators were met. Among our findings were: flows required to achieve environmental outcomes were not met at 65% of river gauge sites assessed water returned to rivers is not effectively used to restore the environment. For example, 79% of Commonwealth environmental water releases from 2014–19 stayed in river channels rather than spilling out to rejuvenate floodplain wetlands the abundance of waterbirds is declining and the incidence of very large fish-kill events is increasing, as witnessed at Menindee Lakes, NSW, twice in the past decade Indigenous rights over water are declining as a percentage of surface water, and water flows to Indigenous-controlled wetlands has not increased. This grossly inadequate situation prevents Indigenous Peoples from managing water on Country, harming their health and wellbeing the basic human right to access adequate, safe drinking water is not being met in many towns, including predominantly Indigenous communities such as Wilcannia, NSW. The findings are not all negative. We found irrigation communities are not necessarily suffering economically from federal government buy-backs of water entitlements. For example, the period of most water buybacks coincided with marked increases in profits for irrigated farms. The finding is contrary to claims in several studies, including one commissioned by the Murray-Darling Basin Authority. Two environmental indicators show an upward trend. Populations of large-bodied freshwater fish are improving, coinciding with the end of commercial fishing. Pleasingly, nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations in the Murray River have fallen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_c5DvmyN28A video outlining the importance of the Barka, or Darling River, to Indigenous people. What does all this mean? So what can we learn from these failures to ensure the Murray-Darling river system is brought back to health? In 2023, the federal Labor government enacted the “Restoring Our Rivers” laws, to increase the return of water to the environment.

Photo Credit: Maria Taylor © Share this page Positive Advice to Europe: Stop Horror Kangaroo Trade Respect iconic indigenous companion The battle to end Australia’s trade in kangaroo meat and skins – the world’s largest onland wildlife slaughter has landed in Rome as Italian parliament considers market ban. An Australian delegation arrived in October and included First Nations voices speaking for the kangaroo, a respected companion in their traditional lands. The delegation – organised by advocacy group Kangaroos Alive in time for World Kangaroo Day – aims to stop the trade in kangaroo body parts that finds a market in some European countries. Italian luxury brands have sworn off using kangaroo skin leather in the past five years. In the UK, wildlife advocates have stopped the trade in kangaroo meat and leather use for soccer cleats. Similar efforts are underway in other countries. Here below is Kangaroos Alive’s report on their trip. Watch the video for the First Nations’ perspective given at a press conference in Rome. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xu_V-MjcocI Peter Hewitt, a Jerrinja/Yuin man and member of not-for-profit Back to Country and Gumbaynggirr man Ricky Buchanan have been selected to represent Indigenous elders. Joining them on this delegation are Mick McIntyre, co-director of Kangaroo A Love-Hate Story and co-founder of Kangaroos Alive (KA), Dennis Vink from KA, and Mark Pearson, former member of the New South Wales Legislative Council. Leading up to World Kangaroo Day next week this delegation is visiting several countries in Europe to advocate for a ban on kangaroo imports into Europe. KA has been working with Italian NGO ‘LAV’ on their “Salva Canguri” (Save the Kangaroos) campaign since 2019.The aim of the Italy campaign is: to obtain a national ban, through law, on the import and trade of products derived from commercial kangaroo killing. This campaign in Italy has seen great results with target companies adopting kangaroo-free corporate policies that have gone around the world (from Diadora – football boots – to Prada, Versace, Ferragamo .. and also, Gucci). Delegation members – Mick McIntyre, Simone Pavesi, Dennis Vink, Italian MP Eleonora Evi, Peter Hewitt, Ricky Buchanan, Mark Pearson. The delegation held a press conference with Italian MP Hon. Eleonora Evi (Democratic Party). The Italian parliament is due to consider a new bill that, if approved, will introduce a national ban on import and trade. The first signatory of the bill is the Hon. Eleonora Evi (Democratic Party); the bill was however signed by other Deputies from different political groups from left to right (Michela Vittoria Brambilla, Ilario Cavo, Noi Moderati; Susanna Cherchi, Movimento 5 Stelle; Beatriz Colombo, Fratelli d’Italia; Rita Dalla Chiesa, Forza Italia; Francesco Gallo, Misto; Simona Loizzo, Lega; Mauro Malaguti, Fratelli d’Italia; Gloria Saccani Jotti, Forza Italia). The aim of the press conference in Rome was to request the scheduling of the bill C.961 (Hon. Evi) and to approve it. Please support this bill by signing this petition: https://www.lav.it/stop-pelle-canguri

Share this page Poison alert and wildlife deaths We resist ‘vertebrate pest management’ in the backyard Love your native birds, possums, kangaroos, lizards? They say ‘think global act local’.  A spur to action came recently for my fellow AWPC committee member Joanna Pagan and myself. We witnessed calls for ‘vertebrate pest management’, aka spreading poisons, on rural residential blocks in our neighbourhood at the whim of individual landholders. As AWPC members we are focused on peaceful co-existence with our native animals, and concerned about traditional lethal methods of ‘managing’ the Australian environment and the cruelty involved.  We were told the main target in this case was rabbits. Really? a bit like throwing a cluster bomb at an ant hill. The poisons recommended, particularly 1080 but also the anti-coagulant poisons, pose deadly risks for native wildlife in our bush backyards. Those native animals are our neighbours and friends and we want a secure environment for them. Some native animals are directly targeted as ‘pests’ – from dingos in rural Australia to possums and wallabies in Tasmania. But many more marsupials, birds and lizards, (See the main Image) along with pet dogs and cats  are unintended victims when landholders and governments bait for rabbits and foxes, wild cats, pigs or goats. The victims eat baits or poisoned carcasses in the food-chain-fatality sequence that characterise these poisons that can go two and three generations. Data shows sheep, cattle and horses have also succumbed to poisoned carrots. We put together a short slide show focusing on the most heinous poison 1080, highlighting research that shows both what is targeted and what is at risk of being collateral damage along with background on 1080, a compound now banned in much of the world because of its toxicity and very cruel action, but used extensively in Australia. Click here for the slide show Animals targeted with poison in Australia This five-minute slide show is a useful educational tool and any reader here is welcome to use it for educating residents and decision-makers if ‘vertebrate pest management’ crops up in your community, or council area. The slide show was possible thanks to the research and education materials put together by Animal Liberation Sydney campaigner Alex Vince and the affiliated Coalition Against 1080 Poison. Alex has added more content to examine and use along with a plea to join forces here: Message from the Coalition Against 1080 Poison 1080 poison represents an animal welfare crisis in Australia, posing a significant threat to our wildlife and ecosystems. This highly toxic substance continues to be widely used in every Australian state and territory, despite being banned in many nations worldwide due to its inhumane and indiscriminate nature. To better understand the scope of this crisis and its impact on Australian wildlife, you can learn more about 1080 by watching this video podcast or visiting the Coalition Against 1080 Poison’s website today. It contains a range of resources, advice for how to tackle 1080 in your state, and ways you can take action today. Together, we can protect Australia’s wildlife by ending this animal welfare crisis. ALSO DEADLY  to our wildlife, especially birds. Second-Generation Anticoagulant Rodenticides (SGARs) are decimating birdlife, with an alarming number of tested nocturnal birds containing these deadly poisons. Animal Liberation’s ‘From Harm to Harmony’ campaign aims to ban the use and sale of SGARs in NSW. Take action to break this toxic cycle and create a safer environment for all creatures: www.al.org.au/ban-rat-poisons/#take-action

Share this page Open Letter To Federal Environment Minister – You Have The Powers To Protect All Native Species Open Letter To Federal Environment Minister – You Have The Powers To Protect All Native Species The Australian Wildlife Protection Council is dedicated to conservation of all remaining native Australian animals, and plants, to stem further loss and rebuild as possible Australia’s degraded ecosystems and biodiversity in a challenging age.“Native herbivores such as kangaroos and wombats play a vital role in ecosystem functioning but are often victimised and treated with a lack of concern because of socio-political factors and historical value judgements rather than heeding biological and ecological information,” wrote ecologist Dan Ramp in a paper examining the role of biodiversity in climate change adaptation.He’s referring to the lethal and ongoing removal of native herbivores from a landscape dedicated to grazing herds of introduced animals and to cropping. This status quo follows 200 years of habitat removal and the killing of some wildlife specifically as commercial product, for ‘pest management’ or recreational hunting. AWPC says an urgent review is needed to understand the benefits of conserving the remaining large herbivores and other native species not already endangered, in order to save remaining biodiversity. The AWPC committee reached out to the Commonwealth Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, and has the same message for state environment ministers. The message to Minister Plibersek was an opportunity at a call-out for solutions to the biodiversity crisis. AWPC said: You, Minister, have some unused powers, a pathway to conserve all our wildlife and flora. Don’t deflect with talk of States’ rights that prop up property rights that outbid conserving Australian nature – a formula proven disastrous for wildlife and biodiversity. Unwrap treaties signed by Australia that come with conservation obligations and use the powers you already have.AWPC President and environmental scientist Frankie Seymour unearthed hidden treaty and existing legislative possibilities and put them in context with current practice. AWPC sent the Minister the following summary along with an expanded submission. We now offer the summary as an open letter for all to consider. TO THE FEDERAL ENVIRONMENT MINISTER The Australian Wildlife Protection Council (AWPC) is glad of the opportunity to offer ambitious and innovative ideas to halt and reverse decline in our biodiversity. We are pleased to learn that the federal/ Commonwealth Government has committed to: reduce climate changing emissions by 43% by 2030, on a path to net zero by 2050, and to protect and conserve 30% of our land for the natural environment by 2030. We submit, however, that this is only a beginning if we are to have any hope of preserving the ecosystems on which all living things depend for our collective survival. A more comprehensive legislative approach at the federal level is needed to stem biodiversity decline. Such an approach is available, under the Commonwealth’s external affairs and corporations powers. Australia is a signatory to three international agreements which require us to protect our biodiversity: The Earth Summit, 1992, The Biodiversity Convention of 1992; and The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, 1992, all of which commit us to (among other things) the ‘Precautionary Principle’ – that means acting before species are threatened to stem further biodiversity loss. The Commonwealth’s external affairs powers enable the Commonwealth to comply with these agreements by making laws to protect biodiversity, over the heads of the States. The situation for Australian biodiversity, and the species that comprise it, is grave, primarily because most of our native species and ecological communities are currently virtually bereft of any protection under either State or Commonwealth law. Most of the animal species currently listed as ‘threatened’ are too reduced in numbers to provide any significant ecological services. It is the unprotected species that now provide most the ecological services without which ecosystems cannot survive. Functional ecosystems are, in turn, essential to the viability of vegetation sinks that provide carbon sequestration. Since all native species and ecosystems collectively constitute and individually contribute to Australian biodiversity, and to carbon sequestration, the Commonwealth should, in order to comply with its international agreements, use its external affairs powers by deeming all native species and ecosystems to be Matters of National Environmental Significance (MNES). All native species and ecological communities are under threat from a multitude of anthropogenic pressures. On a precautionary basis, the Commonwealth should therefore deem and declare all native plants, animals and ecological communities comprising Australian biodiversity to be ‘threatened’, and list them accordingly for protection. Commonwealth law – via the Environmental Protection Biodiversity Conservation (EPBC) Act under the Commonwealth’s corporations powers – already requires the Commonwealth Environment Minister to take action that would protect biodiversity in particular circumstances. For example, by refusing to support a State wildlife management plan that breaches the requirements set out in the EPBC Act. The NSW Kangaroo Management Plan is one such example, now known to have breached EPBC requirements in a number of ways, and there is no reason to believe that other State kangaroo “harvesting” plans are any more compliant. No Commonwealth minister, required to review and authorise state plans, has rejected such a plan. Rather than just rubber stamp these plans, the Commonwealth Environment Minister can protect kangaroos and other biodiversity from State government management plans that breach the EPBC Act’s requirements, by scrutinising State government claims in regard to compliance, and by rejecting plans that breach the Act. AWPC believes that Australia needs to move away from lethal control of wildlife because killing animals is destructive to biodiversity that depends on their roles in ecosystems and cruel to the animals. We encourage reconciliation, respect and far better understanding of ecological roles held by fellow species on this continent. We urge the Minister to use her office to encourage a culture that is more respectful of Australian nature, and to consider how Australia’s current cruel and lethal culture vis a vis wildlife (and other non-human animals) might prepare for an international convention on animal welfare. RELATED STORIES: Why care about all