In wake of koala deaths, governments must commit to stronger environment laws

The incoming National Campaign Director of the Wilderness Society, Amelia Young, provides the following comments on the reports of the horrific and completely avoidable koala deaths in Victoria that were revealed over the weekend. 

Amelia Young said, “The suffering and death of many koalas over the weekend in plantation forestry in western Victoria is a sobering reminder of the pain inflicted on countless native animals every time a forest is logged or cleared. 

“Across Australia, threatened wildlife often suffer horrible injuries, starvation and death when their forest habitat is destroyed by deforestation. 

“The catastrophic effects of this summer’s ongoing bushfires are forcing wildlife already on the brink of extinction into an increasingly perilous state. 

“All governments must immediately commit to put in place coordinated safeguards for wildlife and their habitat. We need stronger laws at all levels and proper resourcing for environment agencies so that laws can be enforced.

“Manufacturers of timber and paper products must be able to guarantee that the wood and fibre they obtain has not come from forests and plantations linked to animal cruelty.

“Such terrible animal cruelty—and the avoidable deaths of any species, let alone an iconic species like the koala—must be met with the severest penalty possible so they never happen again,” Amelia concluded.

NB: find more information on Amelia Young following her appointment as the National Campaign Director.

For further comment please contact Tim Beshara 0437878786