Future Tasmania: ‘Scary’ number of species at risk in the state

More needs to be done to inform people just how many Tasmanian species of flora and fauna are at risk of extinction, a wildlife expert says.

THE Tasmanian devil and orange-bellied parrot may be some of the most recognisable, but there are more than 700 fauna and flora on Tasmania’s official threatened species list.

It is a situation described by an expert as “scary”, with calls for more to be done to protect the species, and to better educate and inform the public.

Threatened species zoologist Clare Hawkins said while the focus on more high-profile species was welcome, there were hundreds of others which also needed attention.

“I do find it scary particularly because we don’t see things coming off that list,” she said.

“I think we could do a great deal more. I think it can be a bit uncomfortable for governments to explain the state of the problem, but somebody must.

“We all feel the loss of the Tasmanian tiger deep in our hearts, but it can elbow out the significance of other species, because they are small and haven’t hit the national media.”

Wedge-tailed eagles are one of more than 700 fauna and flora on Tasmania’s official threatened species list.

Dr Hawkins, also the citizen science co-ordinator with environmental group the Bookend Trust, said fewer than 16 per cent of Tasmanian threatened species are monitored, which made it difficult to measure whether efforts to help them recover are effective.

She acknowledged the issue was complex and expensive to deal with.

Dr Hawkins said Bookend Trust initiatives run across the state – including Nature Trackers and Extinction Matters – were aimed at engaging and educating the public.

Dr Hawkins has a specific interest in wedge-tailed eagles, with a special project called “Where? Where? Wedgie!” giving schools and communities a chance to track the species.

Meanwhile, a 12-month durational art performance highlighting the extinction crisis – called Extinction Studies – is under way at the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery.

As part of the exhibition, Tasmanian artist Lucienne Rickard is drawing a different recently extinct plant or animal species daily.

She was inspired to run an exhibition after long being worried about the future of biodiversity and the natural world.

A Tasmanian devil at Bonorong Wildlife Sanctuary. Picture: SAM ROSEWARNE

The State Government is running several programs aimed at ensuring survival of the state’s threatened species, including those specific to Tasmanian devils and orange-bellied parrots.

A new $2.5 million orange-bellied parrot breeding facility at Five Mile Beach has been opened, while the aim of the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program is to keep the species’ population sustainable in the wild.

The Government works in partnership with universities, wildlife parks and research institutions to monitor new and existing threats and formulate responses.

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