Hi Rob and Birding-Aus,
This email is in regards to Rob's comment about bush fires.
I can only speak about the northern part of Australia, from Cape York to
Northern Territory and the Kimberley.
I am sure the fire policies down south are quite different, and I am of
course in support of protecting houses and communities from bush fires.
However, we have a big problem in the north.
Most Aboriginals used to be nomadic, and they burnt to hunt, gather or
travel, but that was in a cycle of about 10 years. National Parks in general
attempts to follow this to maintain bio-diversity by patch-burning on a 5
year plan.
Guess what, it's not working!
I visit the northern areas regularly, and I see certain sections burnt every
year.
Driving through Kakadu N.P. over the last years I took note and 4/5th was
burnt already in September every year. It should be the other way around,
1/5th instead. The same applies to Cape York. Talking to pilots in the
Kimberley, they told me 80% is burnt every 2 years.
These fires in the north are happening from May right up to the wet season,
which include of course destruction of nests in the breeding season.
I don't know if you have been in the north recently, but you can walk for
hours in woodlands on Cape York, Kakadu and the Kimberley without
encountering any lower life forms like insects, spiders (no cobweb anywhere)
or seeing skinks. It looks great after the wet season with all looking lush,
but bio-diversity is definitely down.
We are creating green deserts.
Graeme Chapman once told me, after he successfully photographed all the
Grasswrens in Australia, that Spinifex has to be a certain size before they
consider nesting in it, and that is about 7 years. So burning these areas
every 5 years would be still too much. (I wish at least for this plan to
work, but it doesn't!)
Every area should to be looked at individually and worked out for fire
planning, like Artemis Station does for the requirements of
Golden-shouldered Parrots (breeding season is February - May).
Fire issues are complex, and I agree with your statement in regards to coal,
oil and gas is definitely spot on, but your statement about not to worry
about bush fires is definitely NOT in the interest of Australian birds.
Let's hope for a better future,
Klaus
Kirrama Wildlife Tours
Klaus & Brenda Uhlenhut
PO BOX 1400
INNISFAIL
QLD 4860
Australia
Phone: 07 4065 5181
Kirrama Web Page:
http://www.kirrama.com.au
Web Directory of Australian Birdwatching:
http://www.ausbird.com
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