Albatross facing Aussie extinction
The grey headed albatross could become extinct in Australia if funding delays continue for pest eradication on the World Heritage listed Macquarie Island, conservationists warned on Thursday.
The delays also would be devastating for the sub-Antarctic island's penguins, petrels and other seabirds, said WWF scientific advisory committee member Dr Andrew Burbidge.
A team is leaving Hobart on Thursday on supply ship the Aurora Australis to report on damage being caused by exploding numbers of rabbits and rats and to start trial aerial runs for a baiting program.
The WWF says a plague of well over 100,000 rabbits is devastating the island's vegetation, causing landslips to crash into penguin rookeries.
The number of rats, which eat eggs and seabirds in their nests, is also increasing.
The island is considered part of Tasmania, but the federal government has responsibility for World Heritage sites.
A pest eradication program has been thrown into doubt because the state government says the Commonwealth should pay the total $24.6 million cost, instead of the half it has already agreed to contribute.
The WWF said the funding rejection by the state government has jeopardised the bait run timing.
"Unless 100 per cent of funding is committed by the end of April, the bait run will be pushed back at least another year from winter 2009 to winter 2010," Dr Burbidge said.
"The loss of another year will be devastating for the island's albatrosses, petrels, penguins and other seabirds."
The WWF says the Tasmanian government should seriously rethink the matter and pay its fair share towards the pest eradication, or consider ceding the island to a government that will ensure its long-term conservation.
The ship will be taking down a joint Tasmanian-Commonwealth investigation team, including WWF Australia's biodiversity program leader Andreas Glanznig and Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service staff.
The state government said it would still contribute towards eradicating pests from the island despite the funding row.
Some of the measures include employing two full-time shooters, constructing rabbit-proof fencing and installing a weather station to help with planning for helicopter bait drops.
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