CCWA

Conservation groups, scientists and professional animal carers from across the state gathered in the Perth Hills yesterday for a crisis meeting to discuss solutions for the impending starvation crisis affecting WA's three endangered species of black cockatoo.

An emergency situation has developed for WA's endangered Carnaby's, Baudin's and Forest Red-tailed black cockatoos with large numbers of birds starving to death due to a lack of feeding habitat in the Swan Coastal Plain and South-West.

Starvation, bushfires and loss of habitat due to logging and land clearing have forced thousands of endangered cockatoos into Perth suburbs in a desperate search for food. Cockatoo carers have already been forced to put down individual birds, including a critically endangered Carnaby's Black cockatoo, which are too starved to rehabilitate.

Conservation Council of WA Director Piers Verstegen said, "The recent very large bushfires in the South-West, combined with the impacts of last year's drought has created a food crisis for cockatoos.

"You can now find all three species foraging in backyards throughout the Perth metro area. This is extremely unusual behavior and an act of desperation for birds starved of their preferred food sources.
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"To make this critical situation worse, the State Government is now planning to begin logging thousands of hectares in some of the last remaining high conservation value forests that have escaped the bushfires.

"Clearly DEC's cockatoo recovery plan has failed and now the cockatoos are in a daily fight for survival.

"Logging is set to begin within weeks in some of the last remaining healthy forests where the cockatoos can still find food, including the Helms forest block near Nannup. This area is home to cockatoos that have been micro-chipped and released after rehabilitation.

"We are calling on the Environment Minister to conduct an urgent audit of available food resources for the cockatoos, and place a halt on logging and land clearing until that has been undertaken."

WA Forest Alliance spokesperson Jess Beckerling said, "In the past 15 months escaped prescribed burns lit by the Department of Environment and Conservation have blackened nearly 100,000ha of cockatoo habitat in the Nannup area alone. That's the equivalent of around 245 King's Parks. Helms forest wasn't burnt and is vital to the survival of the cockatoos and other native fauna who are now taking refuge there.

"DEC prescribed burning, continued logging of native forests, clearing of urban bushland and years of drought are combining to have catastrophic results for the cockatoos.

"We are looking forward to the Environment Minister getting home and giving this serious issue the urgent attention that it deserves.

"The first step is postponing all logging and clearing of cockatoo habitat while we work out what can be done to prevent the extinction of these much-loved West Australian icons."

West Australians concerned about the survival of our unique cockatoo species should contact their local MP or attend a special Environment Matters seminar on Wednesday 8th February. Details at ccwa.org.au