Italian
Si ritiene che quasi la metà della popolazione dei koala in Australia sia morta nel corso dell'estate di devastanti incendi boschivi che hanno arso milioni di ettari di foreste e parchi nazionali.
Ora, una nuova ricerca del World Wildlife Fund for Nature indica che una parte ancora maggiore del loro habitat sta scomparendo.
Martin Taylor, responsabile delle aree protette e della conservazione del WWF, afferma che i tassi di disboscamento sono aumentati da quando il governo federale ha classificato i koala come vulnerabili nel 2012.
“We're shocked and horrified, it seems that koala habitat is going at a huge pace and the department in Canberra is doing nothing about it essentially.”
L'analisi ha rilevato che la deforestazione delle terre è aumentata nel Queensland del 7% dopo il 2012, rispetto a diversi anni prima.
E nel New South Wales, gli ettari medi annui di territorio deforestato sono aumentati di circa il 32% da quando i koala sono stati dichiarati vulnerabili.
L'organizzazione sostiene che migliaia di koala sono morti come conseguenza.
“Koalas are one species that is dependent on the forests of Eastern Australia but we have many other species that are also threatened by both the fires and by the destruction of their habitat: gliders, possums, wallabies, many reptiles.”
I Friends of the Koala, gruppo ambientalista del nord del New South Wales, salvano circa 400 koala all'anno.
La presidente Ros Irwin sostiene che il disboscamento nella regione per favorire lo sviluppo residenziale e commerciale è una costante minaccia alla sopravvivenza degli animali.
“They're very aware of their habitat they know where it is and when it's removed they become incredibly stressed and it is the stress that actually activates the diseases such as chlamydia and retrovirus, which are fatal for koalas.”
Sostiene anche le richieste del WWF affinché lo stato dei koala sia cambiato da “vulnerabile” a “in via di estinzione”.
L'organizzazione vuole anche che venga istituita un'autorità nazionale indipendente per la protezione ambientale.
In una dichiarazione alla SBS, la ministra federale dell'ambiente Sussan Ley ha dichiarato di aver "chiesto al comitato scientifico per le specie minacciate di valutare se lo stato del koala debba essere rivisto e dotato di maggiore protezione in seguito alla crisi degli incendi".
È inoltre in corso una revisione delle leggi australiane sulla protezione dell'ambiente e sulla biodiversità.
English
Almost half of Australia's koala population is believed to have perished in a summer of devastating bushfires which scorched millions of hectares of forests and national parks.
Now, new research by the World Wide Fund for Nature shows more of their habitat is disappearing.
WWF's Protected Areas and Conservation Science Manager, Martin Taylor, says land clearing rates have risen since the federal government listed koalas as vulnerable in 2012.
“We're shocked and horrified, it seems that koala habitat is going at a huge pace and the department in Canberra is doing nothing about it essentially.”
The analysis found land clearing increased in Queensland by seven per cent after 2012, compared to a number of years before.
And in New South Wales, the average annual hectares of land cleared has risen by around 32 per cent since koalas were declared vulnerable.
The organisation says thousands of koalas have died as a result.
“Koalas are one species that is dependent on the forests of Eastern Australia but we have many other species that are also threatened by both the fires and by the destruction of their habitat: gliders, possums, wallabies, many reptiles.”
Northern New South Wales conservation group Friends of the Koala rescues about 400 koalas a year.
President Ros Irwin says land clearing in the region for residential and commercial development is a constant threat to the animals' survival.
“They're very aware of their habitat they know where it is and when it's removed they become incredibly stressed and it is the stress that actually activates the diseases such as chlamydia and retrovirus, which are fatal for koalas.”
She's backing calls by W-W-F for koalas' status to be changed from vulnerable to endangered.
The organisation also wants an independent national Environmental Protection Authority to be established.
In a statement to SBS, Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley said she has "asked the Threatened Species Scientific Committee to consider whether the status of the koala should be reassessed and given greater protection following the bushfire crisis."
A review of Australia's Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation laws is also underway.
Report by Cassandra Bain
