Yesterday Stephen Garnett informed me that the "interim albatross taxonomy"
of Robertson & Nunn has been enshrined in the listings of the endangered
and vulnerable species in the federal <Endangered Species Protection Act
1992> which was updated in January 2000.
Checking Environment Australia's web site I found a page at
http://www.biodiversity.environment.gov.au/plants/threaten/lists/advices/fau
na/albatros.htm
<<Advice to the Minister for the Environment from the Endangered Species
Scientific Subcommittee (ESSS) on proposals to add species to Schedule 1 of
the Endangered Species Protection Act 1992>>
wherein it states that
<<Since the nominations were made, new taxonomic research relating to
albatrosses has been concluded that increases the number of species of
albatross in the world from 14 to 24. These accepted taxonomic changes have
resulted in a re-evaluation of the conservation status of albatross
species. Accordingly, ESSS decided to consider all albatross species that
may occur in Australian waters. These 20 species, with the World
Conservation Union (IUCN) 1994 Red List categories allocated by Dr Rosemary
Gales (1997, Pp 20-45 in The Albatross, see below) are:
Wandering Albatross Diomedea exulans Vulnerable
Tristan Albatross Diomedea dabbenema [sic] Endangered
Antipodean Albatross Diomedea antipodensis Vulnerable
Gibson's Albatross Diomedea gibsoni Vulnerable
Northern Royal Albatross Diomedea sanfordi Endangered
Southern Royal Albatross Diomedea epomophora Vulnerable
Amsterdam Albatross Diomedea amsterdamensis Critically Endangered
Black-browed Albatross Thalassarche melanophrys Lower Risk (near threatened)
Campbell Albatross Thalassarche impavida Vulnerable
Buller's Albatross Thalassarche bulleri Vulnerable
Pacific Albatross Thalassarche sp. Vulnerable
Shy Albatross Thalassarche cauta Vulnerable
White-capped Albatross Thalassarche steadi Vulnerable
Salvin's Albatross Thalassarche salvini Vulnerable
Chatham Albatross Thalassarche eremita Critically Endangered
Atlantic Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche chlororhynchos Data Deficient
Indian Yellow-nosed Albatross Thalassarche carteri Vulnerable
Grey-headed Albatross Thalassarche chrysotoma [sic] Vulnerable
Sooty Albatross Phoebetria fusca Vulnerable
Light-mantled Albatross Phoebetria palpebrata Data Deficient>>
Apparently comments were invited from State environment departments and
from Birds Australia
<<ESSS also consulted relevant scientific papers from the forthcoming
publication The albatross:
biology and conservation (1997 [sic], edited by G. Robertson and R. Gales,
Surrey Beatty and Sons, Chipping Norton, NSW), that resulted from the First
International Albatross Conference and Workshop held in Tasmania in 1995.
<<Most comments received were based on the outdated taxonomy....>>
and so
<<This decision was signed [by the Minister for the Environment] on the 17
October 1997, and gazetted on the 10 December 1997.>>
There is no evidence on the page that the <<Endangered Species Scientific
Subcommittee (ESSS)>> assessed the scientific merit of the the taxonomy
that they adopted. The documents that they claim to have consulted do not
contain
<<new taxonomic research relating to albatrosses>>.
This appears to be a revealing and appalling display of scientific
ignorance and incompetence on the part of Environment Australia. Perhaps we
are not "the clever country" but surely we have more scientific competence
and integrity than this?
David James
PO BOX 5225
Townsville Mail Centre,
Qld 4810, Australia
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