At work during a South Islet (Willis Island) sunset. Photos: Parks Australia.
The Federal Government is pumping money into H5 bird flu prevention off the coast of Cape York as the devastating disease gradually spreads across the country.
The deadly strain of bird flu was detected in Australia for the first time on 19 June, when an infected wild brown skua was found at Cape Le Grand National Park in Western Australia.
As of 4 pm on Tuesday (25 August), the nation had recorded 330 “positive events of H5 bird flu in wildlife”, according to the government.
Two birds have been found with symptoms on Moreton Island and the Sunshine Coast, but the strain has not yet been found in Far North Queensland.
H5 bird flu has been spread by wild birds across the globe over the past five years and killed millions of animals. Infections in people are rare, but can be severe.
South Islet (Willis Island) is a key breeding habitat for seabirds.
This week, the government announced $1 million would be spent safeguarding seabird populations on South Islet (Willis Island) about 470 km east-north-east of Cairns.
The island is a key breeding habitat for seabirds such as sooty terns, brown noddies, and wedge-tailed shearwaters in the Coral Sea Marine Park.
Parks Australia’s work over the past two months has included removing weeds and trialling different revegetation methods.
Weeds including Mossman river grass, dwarf poinsettia and cat’s whiskers dominate more than a third of the 4.8 hectares of vegetation on the island and are out-competing native vegetation, cutting down on seabird nesting sites.
In May, a Parks Australia expedition team was accompanied by Mandubarra Indigenous Land and Sea Inc rangers and contractors and they spent 15 days working on the island, with the help of Bureau of Meteorology staff based there. Another team returned at the end of July and recently came back to the mainland.
The weed and revegetation work has been happening alongside another ecological restoration project in the Coral Sea Marine Park. Work is underway on Bird Islet at Wreck Reefs in the south of the park to tackle couch grass, green amaranth and nightshade threatening seabird nesting sites.
It’s hoped birds on the islands will be more resilient to the H5 bird flu strain should some fall victim. It comes as the government has been working with the Torres Strait Regional Authority (TSRA) to target invasive rats with specialised bait drones to combat a potential H5 bird flu outbreak in the western Torres Strait.
Parks Australia project lead Dr Roberta Johnson said: “On the first trip, we spent more than 400 hours working in among the birds, taking great care not to disturb the parents, chicks and eggs.
“We cleared about 5 tonnes of weeds by hand, and saw the results of our work in real time, with sooty terns and brown noddies moving into nest in some cleared areas within hours,” she said.
A Parks Australia team working on South Islet (Willis Island). Photo: Parks Australia.
“Returning two months later, we’re delighted to see that more of the areas we weeded are being occupied by nesting birds.
“This will help safeguard our seabird populations by protecting their breeding sites, while also restoring the island’s ecosystem for the long term, and prevent the spread of these weeds to other nearby islands.
“Our islands and reefs are home to unique species found nowhere else, but their ecosystems are delicate and vulnerable to threats ranging from H5 bird flu to climate change, so protecting them is a priority.”
Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt warned the outbreak in Australia “is likely to get much worse and our government and the experts have been very frank about that”.
“But we’ve been able to learn from the spread on other continents, and preparation for H5 bird flu in Australia has been underway for several years,” he said.
“While we can’t stop the spread in wildlife, we can help native species by protecting captive populations, removing feral pests and threats, building shelters and nests, and inoculating against common diseases.
“We have been investing in these types of projects across the country for several years in preparation for a bird flu outbreak, and as a result, our native species are in a better position to withstand the H5 incursion.”
Federal Threatened Species Commissioner Dr Fiona Fraser said helping native species become more resilient would “give them the best chance” of withstanding challenges like H5 bird flu.
A brown noddy chick on South Islet (Willis Island). Photo: Parks Australia.
“Preparing for H5 bird flu is about more than being ready to respond to detections – it’s about ensuring our populations of native species are in best possible shape,” she said.
“These projects will reduce existing pressures on wildlife that impact population health, including removing weeds from choking nesting habitat.
“Building strong and healthy populations is the best way we can help threatened species withstand and recover from potential impacts should H5 bird flu establish in Australia.
“By tackling threats that endangered species already face, we are not only preparing for the possible spread of H5 bird flu but also delivering enduring conservation benefits for years to come.”
The Coral Sea Marine Park is Australia’s biggest marine park and covers nearly one million square kilometres of ocean off Queensland. The park includes more than 60 islets and cays, as well as huge reef areas.
Find out more about H5 bird flu: birdflu.gov.au
Original Article published by Luke Mortimer on Region Tropical North Queensland.
