Evidence from a Nature journal paper has determined that the critically endangered swift parrot habitat in Tasmania has been destroyed over recent decades not from bushfires or from invasive species, but due to forestry operations. Minister Eric Abetz, the Liberal’s anti-science spokesman, confirmed in Parliament that regardless of this evidence, he will continue advocating for antiquated, discredited and destructive policies that are driving species to extinction.
It’s disturbing to see how quickly the Liberals jump to attack experts, including scientists, who dare to speak inconvenient truths. Minister Abetz’s denial of reality is reaching Trumpian levels.
The Nature paper’s authors have methodically quantified the amount of swift parrot habitat destroyed in recent decades, and looked at what has driven this habitat loss.
The findings are stark. Forestry policy, and Forestry Tasmania’s operations that flow from this, is the main driver of species loss. The amount of swift parrot habitat destroyed has doubled from an annual 139 hectares to 329 hectares since the Liberals tore up the Tasmanian Forest Agreement in 2014. As a consequence, the swift parrot species is in a perilous state, with less than 500 birds now alive.
Swift parrots need diverse unbroken stretches of forest, accompanied with large old-growth trees that have nesting hollows and protection to breed and eat successfully. Forestry practices in this state clearfell and log swift parrot habitat entirely, or fragment it, leaving isolated islands of retained trees that are effectively useless for swift parrots to survive in.
The Liberals’ dirt attack on science and expert opinion is also destructive, and the Greens stand with researchers who have done this important body of work.
We acknowledge the calibre of this impressive, internationally significant Nature portfolio publication, and the report’s authors– Giselle Owens, Robert Heinsohn, Phillip Gibbons and Dejan Stojanovic. The paper can be downloaded and read in all its sobering form here.
