Conservation efforts key to helping Gilbert’s Potoroo buck the trend in 2021 State of Environment report

A Great Southern conservation group campaigning to protect Australia’s most endangered marsupial has labelled the findings of a recent Federal Government report into the health of Australia’s environment very concerning. The 2021 State of Environment Report, released last Tuesday, aims to provide a snapshot of Australia’s environment every five years. One of the key findings of the report was more mammals have become extinct in Australia than on any other continent with about 21 per cent of the country’s mammals assessed as threatened. Gilbert’s potoroo, a species on the critically endangered list with a known population of a little more than 100, is listed as one of the top 20 most at-risk mammals in Australia. Gilbert’s Potoroo Action Group chair Alan Needham said the SOE report showed the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act had been “completely ineffective”. “The South West corner is one of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, so that is a major concern to us,” he said. “What has been done over the last 23 years or so hasn’t succeeded in improving outcomes for biodiversity, in fact some things are going the other way.” The Gilbert’s potoroo was thought to be extinct up until 1994, when about 40 animals were found in a single population at Two People’s Bay east of Albany. The SOE report shows outcomes for threatened mammals that are being monitored and managed is significantly better than those which are not. It stated where no management occurred threatened mammal populations have declined by 60 per cent on average since 2000. Dr Needham said work by Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions to establish new colonies at Waychinicup National Park, Bald Island and Middle Island following their rediscovery have “almost certainly” prevented the animal’s extinction. “DBCA established a policy of recovery very quickly and captive breeding occurred,” he said. “Had that not been done, the entire species would probably be extinct now because of the 2015 fire which went through Two People’s Bay.” Dr Needham, a retired biologist, said the extinction of any species often led to unforeseeable consequences. “If the potoroo went extinct it would affect the subterranean fungi they eat, because the potoroo is almost certainly a fairly important agent of distribution,” he said. “The fungal spores go through the potoroo undamaged and come out the other end to be scattered by the movements of the animal.” Dr Needham said human influence had “almost certainly” led to the animal nearing extinction and everyone can play their part to help conservation efforts in their area by taking simple steps. “People...can help conservation efforts by controlling animals like cats because they do kill native animals,” he said. “They should also follow DBCA advice and warning about spreading dieback and other plant infections.”