Editing Conservation in Australia

{{Short description|Protection of biodiversity in Australia}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2018}}

{{Wildlife of Australia}}
'''Conservation in Australia''' is an issue of state and federal policy. [[Australia]] is one of the most biologically diverse countries in the world,<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Davison |first1=Annette D. |last2=Yeates |first2=Christine |last3=Gillings |first3=Michael R. |last4=de Brabandere |first4=Jan |title=Microorganisms, Australia and the Convention on Biological Diversity |journal=Biodiversity & Conservation |date=1999 |volume=8 |issue=10 |page=1410 |doi=10.1023/A:1008986324592 |bibcode=1999BiCon...8.1399D |url=https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1008986324592 |access-date=1 September 2022|url-access=subscription }}</ref> with a large portion of species [[endemic (ecology)|endemic]] to Australia. Preserving this wealth of [[biodiversity]] is important for [[future generations]].  25% of Australia is managed for conservation.<ref name="pcia">{{cite journal |last1=Broadhurst |first1=Linda |last2=Coates |first2=David |date=December 2017 |title=Plant conservation in Australia: Current directions and future challenges |url= |journal=Plant Diversity |volume=39 |issue=6 |pages=348–356 |doi=10.1016/j.pld.2017.09.005 |doi-access=free |pmid=30159528 |pmc=6112320 |bibcode=2017PlDiv..39..348B }}</ref>

[[Animal]] [[Habitat (ecology)|habitat]]s like [[reef]]s and [[forest]]s must be preserved in order to preserve the population and diversity of animal species. Conservation is vital for future study and for field [[research]] to be taken, and because biological richness is an unmeasurable aesthetic that may be developed into commercial [[recreation]]al attractions.

According to [[Janine Benyus]], the potential for advances in [[biomimicry]] in Australia is great because the [[extreme weather]] and conditions found here provide an excellent [[evolution]]ary incubator. Research on natural processes can only occur if the habitat is preserved and [[organism]]s continue to thrive.
[[File:Daintree National Park.jpg|thumb|right|320px|Rainforests such as the [[Daintree Rainforest|Daintree]] have immeasurable value.]]

Federal and State governments manage [[protected areas]] and [[national parks]]; a number of non-governmental organizations are also involved in conservation.

==Conservation issues==
{{Main|Environmental issues in Australia}}
{{further|Invasive species in Australia|Salinity in Australia|Whaling in Australia}}
A key conservation issue is the preservation of biodiversity, especially by protecting the remaining [[rainforest]]s. The destruction of habitat by human activities, including [[land clearing in Australia|land clearing]], remains the major cause of [[biodiversity loss]] in Australia. The importance of the Australian rainforests to the conservation movement is very high.<ref>{{Cite web |last=McIntyre |first=Iain |date=2020-11-04 |title=Environmental Blockading in Australia and Around the World - Timeline 1974-1997 |url=https://commonslibrary.org/environmental-blockading-in-australia-and-around-the-world-timeline-1974-1997/ |access-date=2023-07-07 |website=The Commons Social Change Library |language=en-AU}}</ref> Australia is the only [[Western World|western]] country to have large areas of rainforest intact.<ref>Our Rainforests and the issues'' by Beryl Morris, Tondy Sadler and Graham N. Harrington. 1992. [[CSIRO]]. {{ISBN|0-643-05141-4}}</ref> Forests provide [[timber]], [[drug]]s, and [[food]] and should be managed to maximize the possible uses. Currently, there are a number of environmental movements and campaigners advocating for action on saving the environment, one such campaign is the Big Switch.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.thebigswitch.org.au/ |title=The Big Switch |access-date=2007-06-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070629130111/http://www.thebigswitch.org.au/ |archive-date=2007-06-29 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

[[Land management]] issues including [[land clearing in Australia|clearance of native vegetation]], reafforestation of once-cleared areas, [[Invasive species, Australia|control of exotic weeds and pests]], expansion of dryland [[salinity]], and changed [[fire]] regimes. Intensification of resource use in sectors such as [[forestry]], [[fishery|fisheries]], and [[Agriculture in Australia|agriculture]] are widely reported to contribute to [[biodiversity loss]] in Australia. [[Habitat fragmentation]] is one of the most important factors affecting the persistence of species.<ref name="pcia"/>  Coastal and [[ocean|marine]] environments also have reduced biodiversity from reduced water quality caused by [[pollution]] and sediments arising from human settlements and agriculture. In central [[New South Wales]] where there are large plains of grassland, problems have arisen from—unusual to say—lack of land clearing.

[[Shark culling]] (the killing of [[shark]]s) currently occurs in [[New South Wales]] and [[Queensland]] (in government "shark control" programs).<ref name="AusCull">https://web.archive.org/web/20181002102324/https://www.marineconservation.org.au/pages/shark-culling.html "Shark Culling". marineconservation.org.au. Archived from the original on 2018-10-02. Retrieved December 26, 2018.</ref> These programs have damaged the [[marine ecosystem]].<ref name="AusCull"/> Roughly 50,000 sharks have been killed by Queensland authorities since 1962, including in the [[Great Barrier Reef]].<ref>https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/aussie-shark-population-is-staggering-decline/news-story/49e910c828b6e2b735d1c68e6b2c956e ''Aussie shark population in staggering decline.'' Rhian Deutrom. December 14, 2018. Retrieved December 26, 2018.</ref><ref name="maritime">https://www.maritime-executive.com/article/queensland-government-kills-sharks-faces-court-challenge ''"Queensland Government Kills Sharks, Faces Court Challenge"''. maritime-executive.com. September 4, 2018. Retrieved December 26, 2018.</ref> Queensland's "shark control" program has been called "outdated, cruel and ineffective".<ref name="maritime"/> The "shark control" programs in New South Wales and Queensland have killed thousands of animals, such as [[turtle]]s and [[dolphin]]s.<ref name="AusCull"/><ref>http://www.afd.org.au/news-articles/queenslands-shark-control-program-has-snagged-84000-animals Action for Dolphins. Queensland’s Shark Control Program Has Snagged 84,000 Animals. Thom Mitchell. November 20, 2015. Retrieved December 25, 2018.</ref> In 2018, the [[Humane Society International]] filed a lawsuit against the government of Queensland to stop shark culling in the Great Barrier Reef.<ref name="maritime"/>

The protection of the iconic [[Wollemi Pine]] is an important conservation issue because the tree is one of the rarest in the world.<ref name="eac">{{cite journal |last1=Mackenzie |first1=Berin D.E. |last2=Clarke |first2=Steve W. |last3=Zimmer |first3=Heidi C. |last4=Liew |first4=Edward C.Y. |last5=Phelan |first5=Maureen T. |last6=Offord |first6=Catherine A.|last7=Menke |first7=Lisa K. |last8=Crust |first8=David W. |last9=Bragg |first9=Jason |last10=McPherson |first10=Hannah |last11=Rossetto |first11=Maurizio |first12=David M. |last12=Coote  |first13=Jia-Yee Samantha |last13=Yap |first14=Tony D. |last14=Auld |date=2022 |title=Ecology and Conservation of a Living Fossil: Australia's Wollemi Pine (Wollemia nobilis) |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/B9780128211397001884 |journal=Imperiled: The Encyclopedia of Conservation |pages=884–894 |doi=10.1016/B978-0-12-821139-7.00188-4 |isbn=978-0-12-821139-7 |access-date=6 October 2023|url-access=subscription }}</ref>  There are only 46 mature individual trees remaining in the wild.<ref name="eac"/> The small grove of unusual conifers in a remote canyon are threatened due to its highly restricted [[Species distribution|distribution]], extremely small population size, the ongoing impacts from exotic pathogens, inappropriate fire regimes, unauthorized site visitation and climate change.<ref name="eac"/>

'''Specific issues:'''
* [[Blue Gum Forest]]
* [[Fraser Island]]
* [[Franklin Dam]]
* [[Lake Pedder]]
* [[Uranium mining in Kakadu National Park]]
* Plight of the [[Murray River]] system

==Legal framework==
Conservation of the natural environment in Australia is derived from five different sources of law, namely international law, federal law, State law and local government law as well as the application of the common law.

===International environmental law===
International agreements that affect conservation policy in Australia.

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:90%;"
!Entry in force
!Title, date, place of agreement
|-
|1948
|[[International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling]], 1946, Washington
|-
|1961
|[[Antarctic Treaty]], 1959, Washington
|-
|1975
|[[Ramsar Convention|Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat]], 1971, Ramsar
|-
|1975
|Convention for the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage, 1972, Paris
|-
|1975
|[[Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora]] (CITES), 1973, Washington
|-
|1982
|Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Living Marine Resources, 1980, Canberra
|-
|1983
|Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, 1979, Bonn
|-
|1985
|International Tropical Timber Agreement, 1983, Geneva
|-
|1993
|[[Convention on Biological Diversity]], 1992, Rio de Janeiro, leading to Australia's [[Biodiversity Action Plan]]
|-
|1993
|[[United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification]] in those Countries experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification, particularly in Africa, 1994, Paris
|-
|1994
| [[United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea]], 1982, Montego Bay
|-
|1994
|[[United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change]], 1992, New York
|}

===Federal law===
The primary federal law is the [[Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999]] (Cth), usually referred to as the EPBC Act.<ref name="pcia"/>

==Protected areas==
{{Main|Protected areas of Australia}}
There are numerous [[protected areas]] in all States and Territories that have been created to protect and preserve Australia's unique ecosystems. Protected areas include national parks and other reserves, as well as 64 wetlands which are registered under the [[Ramsar Convention]] and 16 [[World Heritage Site]]s. {{As of|2002}}, 10.8% ({{Cvt|774,619.51|km2|disp=or}}) of the total land area of Australia is within a protected area.<ref name="capas2002">Department of the Environment and Heritage. 2002. [http://www.deh.gov.au/parks/nrs/capad/2002/national/nat-type02.html Summary of Terrestrial Protected Areas in Australia by Type] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060913022415/http://www.deh.gov.au/parks/nrs/capad/2002/national/nat-type02.html |date=2006-09-13 }}<br></ref> Protected marine zones have been created in many areas to preserve marine biodiversity; as of 2002 they cover about 7% ({{Cvt|646,000|km2|disp=or}}) of Australia's marine jurisdiction.<ref name="nrsmpa">Department of the Environment and Heritage. 2002. [http://www.deh.gov.au/coasts/mpa/nrsmpa/about.html#status About the National Representative System of Marine Protected Areas (NRSMPA)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050718151128/http://www.deh.gov.au/coasts/mpa/nrsmpa/about.html#status |date=2005-07-18 }}</ref> In Australia [[forest cover]] is around 17% of the total land area, equivalent to 134,005,100 hectares (ha) of forest in 2020, up from 133,882,200 hectares (ha) in 1990. In 2020, naturally regenerating forest covered 131,614,800 hectares (ha) and planted forest covered 2,390,300 hectares (ha). Of the naturally regenerating forest 0% was reported to be [[primary forest]] (consisting of native tree species with no clearly visible indications of human activity) and around 18% of the forest area was found within protected areas. For the year 2015, 67% of the forest area was reported to be under [[State ownership|public ownership]], 32% [[Private property|private ownership]] and 1% with ownership listed as other or unknown.<ref>{{Cite book |url=https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/a6e225da-4a31-4e06-818d-ca3aeadfd635/content |title=Terms and Definitions FRA 2025 Forest Resources Assessment, Working Paper 194 |publisher=Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations |year=2023}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=Global Forest Resources Assessment 2020, Australia |url=https://fra-data.fao.org/assessments/fra/2020/AUS/home/overview |website=Food Agriculture Organization of the United Nations}}</ref> 
[[File:Hopetoun falls.jpg|thumb|right|250 px|Hopetoun Falls and other unique wilderness areas are protected within reserves and parks.]]
Protected areas of include those managed by the federal [[Department of the Environment and Energy]], and [[national park]]s and other protected areas managed by the states, Agencies responsible for protected areas include:

*[[Director of National Parks]]
*[[Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority]]
*[[New South Wales Department of Environment and Climate Change]]
*[[Parks Victoria]]
*[[Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service]]
*[[Department of Environment and Water (South Australia)|Department of Environment and Water]]  (South Australia)
*[[Department of Environment and Conservation (Western Australia)|Department of Environment and Conservation]] (Western Australia)
*[[Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service]]
*[[Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate|Chief Minister's Department]] (Australian Capital Territory)
*[[Parks and Wildlife Commission of the Northern Territory]]

==Threatened species==
{{Main|Threatened fauna of Australia}}

==Conservation organisations==
A number of governmental and non-governmental organisations work in the conservation and restoration of the Australian environment.

{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*[[Australian Conservation Foundation]]
*[[Australian Koala Foundation]]
*[[Australian Marine Conservation Society]]
*[[Australian Native Plants Society]]
*[[Australian Rainforest Conservation Society]]
*[[Australian Wildlife Society]]
*[[Australian Wildlife Conservancy]]
*[[Banksia Environmental Foundation]]
*[[BirdLife Australia]]
*[[Bush Heritage Australia]]
*[[Clean Up Australia]]
*[[Conservation Volunteers Australia]]
*  Environment Tasmania<ref>[http://www.et.org.au/ ET]</ref>
*[[Foundation for National Parks & Wildlife]]
*[[Green Corps]]
*[[Greening Australia]]
*[[Invertebrates Australia]]<ref>[http://www.invertebratesaustralia.org/ Invertebrates Australia]</ref>
*[[Landcare Australia]]
*[[National Parks Australia Council]]<ref>[http://www.npac.org.au/ NPAC]</ref>
*[[Natural Heritage Trust Australia]]
*[[Nature Foundation]]
*[[NSW Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service]]
*[[OzFish Unlimited]]<ref>[https://ozfish.org.au/]</ref>
*[[Planet Ark]]
*[[Queensland Trust for Nature]] (see [[Avoid Island]])
*[[Rainforest Rescue]]<ref>[http://www.rainforestrescue.org.au Rainforest Rescue]</ref>
*[[Sustainable Population Australia]]
*[[Sydney Metropolitan Wildlife Service]]
*[[The Wilderness Society (Australia)|Wilderness Society]]
*[[Trees for Life (Australia)|Trees for Life]]
*[[Wildlife Preservation Society of Queensland]]
*[[Wildlife Warriors]]
*[[World Wide Fund for Nature#WWF-Australia]]
{{div col end}}

==See also==
{{Portal|Australia|Climate change|Ecology|Environment}}
* [[Environmental movement in Australia]]

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
*[https://soe.dcceew.gov.au/ State of the Environment reporting]

{{conservation of species|state=expanded}}
{{World topic|prefix=Conservation in|title=Conservation by country|link_Thailand=Thailand#Biodiversity_and_conservation|noredlinks=y}}
{{Biodiversity Worldwide}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conservation In Australia}}
[[Category:Nature conservation in Australia| ]]