One of my other concerns is that if a LNG Plant is established on the Maret
Islands, there's a good chance that rats will scurry from cargo ships and
tankers that berth there, and colonise the island. As far as I can see from
a quick search on the internet, no mammals have been recorded on Maret
Island, but it is important for birds and reptiles. All the bird species
found on Maret Is either nest on or within a couple of metres of the ground.
Therefore, the introduction of rats could a catastrophic effect on bird and
reptile populations on the island.
This was one of the main concerns expressed by scientists and
conservationists when the Gorgon Project on Barrow Island (off the Pilbara
coastline) was announced. Despite this, the Gorgon Project is going ahead.
Dr Stephen Ambrose
Ryde, NSW
-----Original Message-----
From:
On Behalf Of Andrew Taylor
Sent: Monday, 11 February 2008 8:15 AM
To:
Subject: Kimberley Coast destruction planned.
On Sun, Feb 10, 2008 at 01:16:21PM +1100, Ian May wrote:
> The Maret, Montilivet and Cassini Island groups lay within a
> passerine migration corridor that is the shortest route from
> Indonesia to Cape Voltaire and Cape Bougainville on the mainland
> of Australia. At anchor during calm moonless nights of March
> and April, with deck lights on, masses of passerines comprising
> many hundreds of flycatchers, swallows, pipits, drongos and other
> unidentified birds would silently flutter past through our arcs of
> light heading north.
You should put in a submission when they ask for public comment as a
passerine WA <-> Asia flyway seems almost unknown. I think Barn Swallow
& Yellow Wagtail are the only non-vagrant passerines HANZAB mentions as
making this journey.
Drongos cross Torres Strait but in WA they are said to be resident.
Although there were no WA summer records in the 2nd atlas (but not a
huge number of WA winter records). Australasian Pipit doesn't seem to be
have been recorded in Asia.
Andrew
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