H5N1 bird flu: Help us protect Australian birds

H5N1 bird flu has now reached Australian shores, and with new cases continuing to emerge in seabirds from Western Australia to New South Wales, we are entering a critical period.

While governments have begun strengthening surveillance and emergency response efforts, much more is needed to prepare for the impacts this disease could have on breeding colonies, migratory birds and some of our most vulnerable species. Unlike many other disease threats, H5N1 bird flu has the potential to affect entire ecosystems.

The science is clear: healthier bird populations have a better chance of surviving and recovering from an outbreak. Investing in habitat protection, threat reduction, monitoring and conservation action, can help give Australia's birds the resilience they need to withstand and recover from H5N1 bird flu.

H5N1 bird flu has now reached Australian shores, and with new cases continuing to emerge in seabirds from Western Australia to New South Wales, we are entering a critical period.

While governments have begun strengthening surveillance and emergency response efforts, much more is needed to prepare for the impacts this disease could have on breeding colonies, migratory birds and some of our most vulnerable species. Unlike many other disease threats, H5N1 bird flu has the potential to affect entire ecosystems.

The science is clear: healthier bird populations have a better chance of surviving and recovering from an outbreak. Investing in habitat protection, threat reduction, monitoring and conservation action, can help give Australia's birds the resilience they need to withstand and recover from H5N1 bird flu.

Help us protect native birds

Call on the government to invest in an urgent nature resilience package to strengthen wildlife populations and improve preparedness for H5N1 bird flu.

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Dear Minister for Environment (Murray Watt) and Minister for Agriculture (Julie Collins) 
CC: Treasurer (Jim Chalmers)

I'm writing to urge the Australian Government to take immediate action to protect Australia's wildlife from the growing threat of highly pathogenic avian influenza (H5N1) bird flu.

Now that H5N1 bird flu has been detected on the Australian continent, we have a short window to prepare for what could become one of the most significant wildlife emergencies in our nation's history. It is in your hands to ensure our globally significant wildlife are as protected as possible.

While investment in agricultural biosecurity is important, Australia must also urgently invest in protecting the wildlife and ecosystems that make our country unique. Species already under pressure from habitat loss, invasive predators and climate change could face devastating impacts if H5N1 bird flu spreads through vulnerable wild populations.

Threatened species such as the Orange-bellied Parrot, Fairy Tern and Australian Sea Lion, along with many seabirds, shorebirds, waterbirds and native mammals, could be severely affected. Beyond the ecological consequences, these species hold deep cultural significance for First Nations peoples and are a treasured part of Australia's natural heritage.

That's why I request you support calls from BirdLife Australia and other conservation organisations for the Australian Government to establish a $200 million Wildlife Resilience Fund over the next two years.

This investment should focus on:

- Delivering threat mitigation actions for priority sites and species.  
- Bolstering populations of the species most at risk from H5N1 bird flu. 
- Protecting and restoring critical wetland, coastal and island habitats. 
- Expanding wildlife monitoring and conservation planning for at risk species. 
- Supporting on ground emergency wildlife response and recovery efforts. 
- Increasing preparedness measures, including conservation breeding for species most at risk.

Strong and healthy populations have the best chance of withstanding an outbreak. I welcome the investments already being made in H5N1 bird flu preparedness; however, the scale of the threat facing Australia's wildlife requires a much larger and more urgent response.

Experts agree that one of the best ways to protect species from the impacts of bird flu is to ensure populations are as healthy and resilient as possible before an outbreak occurs. Investing now will not only help wildlife withstand H5N1 bird flu but will also leave a lasting legacy for biodiversity conservation across Australia.

We cannot afford to lose decades of conservation progress because we failed to adequately prepare and respond to this ongoing risk.

Please commit to a $200 million Wildlife Resilience Fund to ensure Australia's precious and unique wildlife receives the protection it urgently needs.

Future generations should be able to look back and see that we acted decisively when it mattered most.

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