Barrington Tops: Reptile Park charity Aussie Ark slugged with huge fine for illegally trapping threatened species
The eco warrior arm of the Australian Reptile Park was warned not to trap three threatened species without a licence but did it anyway. Now the huge fine it copped can be revealed.
Central Coast
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Aussie Ark had “good intentions” when it trapped 23 animals from three species for its captive breeding programs to develop insurance populations of threatened wildlife.
And it even informed the Department of Climate Change, Energy and the Environment in writing ahead of time of its intentions.
But the state government department, which is charged with enforcing the Biodiversity Conservation Act, “warned” Aussie Ark not to proceed because its licence applications to collect the threatened animal had not been approved.
However, the registered charity of Somersby zoo the Australian Reptile Park went ahead and caught 10 giant barred frogs, seven Bell’s turtles and six broad-toothed rats anyway.
Aussie Ark was charged with 23 breaches of the Biodiversity Conservation Act and taken to Wyong Local Court in May, when it agreed to enter into an “enforceable undertaking” to settle the matter without the criminal charges progressing any further.
Now, for the first time, the details of the enforceable undertaking can be revealed, with the registered charity forced to pay $50,000 to the National Parks and Wildlife Services (NPWS) to support threatened species conservation in national parks.
“On numerous occasions both before and after the specimens were collected, the Department had warned Australian Wildlife Ark that the collection of animals without a valid licence was an offence, and advised that [it] did not possess a valid licence to collect the Giant Barred Frog, Bell’s Turtles or Broad-toothed Rat,” the undertaking states.
“Wildlife Ark acknowledges that the collection of the animals as outlined above is likely to have constituted offences under the Biodiversity Conservation Act and that, notwithstanding the good intentions of Wildlife Ark to translocate the animals to establish a captive breeding insurance population for each of the endangered species, it was wrong to have collected the animals without a valid licence and to have failed to have accepted the Department’s advice and warnings that it was not licensed to take the animals.”
As part of its penalty, Aussie Ark has also agreed to publish a statement on its website outlining its offending, implement new training programs for its staff and volunteers so they don’t breach the Biodiversity Act again, and provide 12 education sessions for high school and tertiary students.
The 12 sessions will have to be held within two years of the order and will be held at the Australian Reptile Park, Aussie Ark’s Barrington Tops wildlife sanctuary or at schools.
It will also have to hold six education sessions at community events.
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