Channel 10 News Broadcast

On Monday, Channel 10 responded to a Media Release issued by the Conservation Council of Western Australia (CCWA)  drawing attention to the desperate plight of Western Australia’s black cockatoos – who are starving and in some cases, have suffered such degrees of malnutrition that they have to be euthanised. This link will open the Channel 10 News Broadcast on January 16, 2012 – after their news crew came up to the Black Cockatoo Recovery Centre at 322 Mills Road, East Martin in the Perth Hills.  Channel 10 Perth News Broadcast after interviews at Kaarakin Black Cockatoo Rescue Centre in the Perth Hills on Jan 16, 2012

 

CCWA Media Release

The CCWA Media Release: Crisis meeting to confront cockatoo starvation was direct:   QUOTE “What: With increasing numbers of starving cockatoos being forced out of their native habitats and into the Perth metro area in search of food, conservation groups from across WA are meeting on Monday for a crisis meeting to discuss what can be done to save these iconic birds. ……….. (cont)

Three key species, the rare Forest Red-tailed black cockatoo and the endangered Baudin’s and Carnaby’s black cockatoos, are starving throughout their traditional habitats and being forced to range further and further in search of food.

Despite this the Barnett Government’s logging agency, the Forest Products Commission (FPC), has released its plans to log thousands of hectares of native forests in 2012, with logging to begin at any moment. This includes the incredibly important habitat of Helms forests, which is one of the last remaining areas of good quality habitat in the fire-ravaged Nannup district and has a proven resident cockatoo population. (END OF QUOTE)

 

The meeting was attended by highly experienced conservationists with many years experience in the management, rehabilitation and release of black cockatoos – including Rob Versluis of the WA Forrest Alliance (WAFA) and David and Dee Patterson who have run the Black Cockatoo Rescue Centre in Nannup in the South West of WA for over 25 years.

The followup Media Release by CCWA included this statement by WA Forest Alliance spokesperson Jess Beckering:

“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 AND attend a  Special Environment Matters seminar: Wed Feb 8 (Perth) Why are WA’s rare and endangered cockatoos starving?

 

 

FOOTNOTE:  Lesley Dewar (of Stories My Nana Tells) attended the meeting on Jan 16 and had an extensive tour of the facilities at Kaarakin with Cathie Dewhurst, one of their staff.  She would like to acknowledge the assistance of Channel10 who provided the link to the news broadcast and the excellent support for her earlier article Black Cockatoos Are Starving In Western Australia , which has been distributed through Social Media channels on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.