Latest News

Back to Latest News back

 

World Parks Congress learns of decline in Kakadu National Park wildlife numbers

World Parks Congress learns of decline in Kakadu National Park wildlife numbers
November 15, 2014

The International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has described a decline in wildlife numbers in Kakadu National Park as a "significant concern".

Presented at IUCN World Parks Congress in Sydney, the first assessment of the world's 228 natural World Heritage sites listed significant concerns over three Australian sites with the Great Barrier Reef and Queensland's wet tropics listed alongside Kakadu.

Within the report, which defines sites that are of significant concern and in need of major additional conservation measures over the medium to long term, the decline in Kadadu's wildlife is attributed to feral and invasive species, such as cane toads, along with climate change.

IUCN World Heritage Program Director Tim Badman said he had concerns about the long-term prospects for Kakadu unless there was more work done to tackle a range of threats, stating "it's the documented decline in many species of small mammals as well as some birds and other species, as well as the impacts of invasive species including cane toads, that were amongst the threats that we noticed that were of the most concern.

However, Badman said there were some positive steps being taken, including the recent plan to move endangered animals from Kakadu National Park to a remote island free of invasive species.

He added "the obvious hope that we have is there will be solutions found and one of the challenges in the case of Kakadu is that there's been quite a debate around what is the cause of this decline that's been observed.

"Until we understand what that is it's a case of not knowing what action should be taken."

Badman emphasisied that Parks Australia, which manages Kakadu National Park, was not to blame for the problems, adding "in the case of Kakadu ... the management has been highly effectively done.

"It's clear that there are threats that are still not being addressed but Kakadu's a place... where it's really this high quality monitoring that has enabled us to be sure that there is a problem that's been identified.

"We're not here to criticise or complain about the management, what we're trying to do is identify that there's an issue to be addressed and ask the question what more can be done to address that."

A Parks Australia spokesperson said the report backed their management strategies, stating "this report shows that we're managing Kakadu well, in the face of a number of biodiversity threats.

"We're determined to meet those challenges head on, the new approach to threatened species that we announced recently is a prime example."

Status of Australian World Heritage sites:

Significant concern: Great Barrier Reef, Kakadu National Park, Wet Tropics of Queensland.

Good with some concern: Fraser Island, Gondwana Rainforests of Australia, Greater Blue Mountains Area, Macquarie Island, Tasmanian Wilderness.

Good: Australian Fossil Mammal Sites, Heard and McDonald Islands, Lord Howe Island Group, Ningaloo Coast, Purnululu National Park, Shark Bay, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Willandra Lakes Region.

12th November 2014 - ONLY ONE IN FOUR PROTECTED AREAS IS WELL MANAGED


Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.

 

supplier directory

The Complete Guide to Leisure Industry Products & Services.

See the directory see all

CENTAMAN

Centaman has been a market leader in Enterprise Software Solutions for the leisure and recreation industry and both profit and not-for-profit attractions since 1991. It offers a wide range of software…

read more

Access / Billing / Fitness / Technology / Ticketing

 
 

Vivaticket

As of the 1st July 2018, Enta Australasia Pty Ltd/Best Union has been rebranded as Vivaticket Pty Ltd.  Vivaticket is the ideal strategic partner for the organisation and management of your…

read more

Attractions / Entertainment / Sport / Ticketing / Venues

 
 

Elite Pool Covers

Since 1989 Elite Pool Covers have designed and manufactured an extensive range of high quality affordable manual,semi-automatic and fully-automatic pool cover systems for the harsh Australian…

read more

Aquatics / Environment / Technology / Venues

 
 

Tim Batt Water Solutions

Tim Batt Water Solutions are at the very forefront of the commercial aquatic business in Australia, with over 30 years specific experience supplying and installing chemical control and dosing…

read more

Aquatics / Environment / Recreation / Technology / Venues

 
 

GEOFF NINNES FONG AND PARTNERS

Geoff Ninnes Fong & Partners (GNFP) is a structural, aquatic and civil engineering consultancy with broad experience in the design of new municipal and institutional swimming pools, hydrotherapy…

read more

Aquatics / Consultants / Design / Venues

 
 

Ticketworx Pty Ltd

Ticketworx (formerly House of Tickets) is Australia and New Zealand’s foremost ticket specialist servicing some 2,700 clients and producing in excess of 30 million per tickets per annum.…

read more

Entertainment / Events / Technology / Ticketing / Venues

 
 

Clubware

Clubware’s online gym software is not your run of the mill management system. It has been carefully designed to incorporate all the elements that a fitness club would need. How did we do that?…

read more

Access / Billing / Fitness / Recreation

 
 

TJS Services

TJS Services is a leading national facility services provider. We deliver quality cleaning, maintenance, construction and facility management services to over 1,500 sites Australia wide.  Our…

read more

Hospitality / Retail / Venues

 
 
 
 

get listed with our suppliers directory

Get your business noticed in our targeted directory. Viewed by 10,000 industry professionals per week!

list your business