I have lifted the comment made by Blue Chaffinch (there will be some among you who recognise the Canary Islands connection) and put it on the main page.
Tristan's company exists by contracting to (mainly) local bodies, e.g city and regional councils, in the UK who have to undergo an independent audit (independent of any government agency) of the habitat whenever habitat change is desired (by that particular local body council); this could take 12 months or longer.
The entire case, for and against, would then go to the equivalent of a national Environmental Protection Agency which might take a further 12 months to make a decision.
You will all note his incredulity that mangrove clearing is allowed in Queensland without any public input at all, let alone a habitat review by an independent authority, although DERM (Dept of Environment and Resource Management) through it's Fisheries Management arm was apparently closely consulted.
Throughout Europe and in most North American states an independent and ecologically rigorous audit is required by law in cases such as this; seems Queensland is quite a way behind world's best practice.
So, as Brian Venables suggests, we should move towards a new regime of habitat auditing BEFORE habitats are threatened.
Andy Anderson,
Birding Cairns.
Friday 4 December 2009
Blue Chaffinch said -
1 comments:
- I've just been fortunate enough to spend some time in and around Cairns with Andy Anderson and saw for myself the vegetation clearance undertaken on Saltwater Creek. Here in the UK this kind of work would absolutely have to be preceded by a full ecological survey and assessement, ideally a full calendar year's worth. This would then allow a robust mitigation strategy to be devised and implemented. I'm not at all au fait with the legislative framework in Queensland but I can't believe that the local authority can get away without protecting the environment, even when the work is deemed essential and/or 'minor'. Maybe they simply don't give a damn? The reasons given for the clearance are highly dubious it seems to me - how can mangrove removal be an acceptable method for conserving fish stocks or flood defence? Aren't mangroves and other wetland habitats a natural defence against flooding as well as spawning grounds for fish? Basic ecology. Anyway, my advice is to gather as much detailed information on these unprotected sites as you can - species lists, breeding territories, population estimates etc - as it is only hard evidence that will ever stop this kind of pointless destruction of valuable habitat. What's the local university doing for goodness/ sake? Ideal project for students as well as local birders... OK, best of luck. Tristan Norton Winchester, Hampshire, UK
- 3 December 2009 5:49 AM
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