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OTH-35 ACT Bird Flu Action Email MP TS - Website
OTH-35 ACT Bird Flu Action Email MP TS - Website
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We must protect our marine wildlife from bird flu
We must protect our marine wildlife from bird flu
We must protect our marine wildlife from bird flu
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I am concerned about bird flu; how will you help protect our marine life?
Dear Minister Watt and Minister Collins, I am writing to thank you for the work done to date, including funding for bird flu preparedness, wild bird surveillance and protective actions for threatened species and priority biodiversity. I am deeply concerned about the impacts on Australian wildlife now that the deadly new H5N1 strain of bird flu has reached our shores. With cases now confirmed on our mainland and spreading to new species every week, Australia is facing a wildlife disaster on the scale of the Black Summer bushfires. The government’s own report identified that 1 in 5 Australian species are at high risk from bird flu. Yet the recent funding announcement only set aside $20 million for resilience and recovery actions - this is a drop in the ocean and completely inadequate to protect wildlife at a national scale. Australia urgently needs to invest properly in threatened wildlife populations, with a focus on protection and recovery efforts, so that threats are minimised should bird flu spread beyond the existing cases. I am therefore asking that you: Establish a $200 million fund for national wildlife resilience over the next two years. This must prioritise protection and recovery of threatened wildlife populations, minimising threats before bird flu spreads beyond the existing cases. Scale up public communication, including working through non-government partners. The experience worldwide demonstrates the potential for this virus to be catastrophic for Australia’s unique wildlife and threatened species. Investing in boosting the resilience of our threatened species by protecting and restoring their habitat, and reducing pressures on their populations is now essential to ensure their future. I look forward to your response and swift action on this issue. References: 1. Waller, P., & Chounding, A. (2026, June 22). Second case of deadly H5 bird flu confirmed in southern WA. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-22/second-case-of-deadly-h5-bird-flu-confirmed-in-southern-wa 2. Uhart et al. (2024). Massive outbreak of Influenza A H5N1 in elephant seals at Península Valdés, Argentina: increased evidence for mammal-to-mammal transmission. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.1101/2024.05.31.596774
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