[Greens-Media] IUCN details growing extinction crisis: Corals listed for the first time

[Hollo, Tim (Sen C. Milne)]

IUCN details growing extinction crisis: Corals listed for the first time

Canberra, Thursday 13 September 2007  Senator Christine Milne,
Australian Greens Climate Change Spokesperson and Vice-President of the
IUCN, the World Conservation Union, today called the latest IUCN Red
List of Threatened Species released in Paris and Washington overnight a
wake up call for Australians to a national, regional and global
extinction crisis.

The annual IUCN Red List is the world's most authoritative analysis of
the state of the Earth's plants and animals. It lists species that are
vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered and extinct.

Senator Milne said "The 2007 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species for the
first time includes corals, specifically referencing the threat of
climate change to their survival. The direct threat to the Great Barrier
Reef and Ningaloo Reef, which hold special places in our hearts, should
be a wake up call to Australians that the global extinction crisis will
hit our country hard."

The 2007 Red List includes 16,306 species threatened with extinction, up
from 16,118 last year. One in four mammals, one in eight birds, one
third of all amphibians and 70% of the world's assessed plants on the
2007 IUCN Red List are in jeopardy.

"Habitat loss and degradation is one of the main drivers of extinction.
For example, the Sumatran and Bornean orang-utan are endangered due to
illegal and legal logging and forest clearance for palm oil plantations.
Between 1984 and 2003, palm oil plantations increased from 2,000km2 to
27,000 km2, leaving only 86,000km2 of habitat remaining to the species.

"In Tasmania, our beautiful yellow-twig conifer, athrotaxis laxifolia,
is listed as vulnerable, and the magnificent Chatham Albatross which
visits Tasmania is critically endangered.

"Elsewhere in Australia, the Great Hammerhead shark has been uplisted to
endangered in the 2007 list, and several fish and bird species are
highlighted by the IUCN in this year's list.

"We have to recognise that extinction and localised loss of species is
not simply about the tragedy of that loss. Loss of biodiversity has a
tremendous impact on our human societies that cannot ignore. 

"99% of threatened species are at risk due to human activities. We are
causing this crisis and we are the ones who can stop it. But it is clear
that, despite growing concern and the existing local, regional and
global work to save biodiversity, far more concerted action is needed if
we are to stem the loss of species around the globe."

Contact: Tim Hollo on  0437 587 562

Tim Hollo
Media and Communications Adviser
Senator Christine Milne
Phone: + 61 (0) 2 6277 3063
Mobile: + 61 (0) 437 587 562
Email: tim.hollo at aph.gov.au
Skype: timhollo
www.christinemilne.org.au
www.youtube.com/senatormilne