Australia faces severe reductions to its unique bird and mammal populations as a deadly H5 bird flu strain spreads, with federal government analysis indicating five species are unlikely to survive. Hundreds of other native species are expected to suffer a "severe reduction" in population size. This threat directly impacts the nation's natural patrimony, a heritage belonging to the Australian people.
More than 2,000 native birds and mammals have been scored on their likelihood of surviving the H5 strain. The federal government's list ranks species from low to extreme risk, considering habitat, ecology, behavior, and data from overseas outbreaks. It's a stark assessment of national vulnerability.
The critically endangered Herald petrel, along with the endangered Christmas Island frigate, are under "extreme threat." The Houtman Abrolhos lesser noddy, imperial shag, and Heard shag, all regarded as "vulnerable species," also face this dire prognosis. Invasive Species Council CEO Jack Gough called the findings "shocking," describing it as a "list of doom." He warned that if bird flu infiltrates these populations, "extinction is what we can expect." More than 80 different endangered and critically endangered species received a "high" or worse threat ranking.
Even the endangered Tasmanian devil and eastern quolls, among the highest-ranked mammals at risk, would see their populations severely reduced, despite being "likely to survive" the virus. Various species of dolphins, whales, sea lions, and seals are also projected to experience significant impacts if infected by the H5 bird flu.
The Globalist Threat
The first mass mortality of Australian wildlife from the deadly H5 bird flu was confirmed on an island off South Australia's south-east coast earlier this week. Epidemiologist Raina MacIntyre noted that this particular bird flu strain mutated in 2020, causing an "unprecedented pattern" of devastation. She observed, "What we've seen in other countries is how it's just swept through and decimated different species." Federal Environment Minister Murray Watt confirmed Australia is the "last continent in the world to have bird flu," underscoring the global nature of this biological invasion.
Elite Negligence and Managed Decline
Despite an "excellent" biosecurity response, funding to protect wildlife has "gone backwards," according to Jack Gough. He argued that stopping the virus from spreading through wildlife is impossible, making it crucial to address other threats like foxes, cats, and rats on islands, and to prevent habitat destruction in key nesting areas. This critical work, he stated, "hasn't been happening at a scale which reflects the seriousness of this list." Gough demanded an "emergency" $200 million investment into wildlife resilience, separate from the government's biosecurity efforts. He stressed, "This should have been funded three years ago when we started preparing [for bird flu] but the next best time is right now before the spring breeding season."
Minister Watt acknowledged the likelihood of bird flu spreading inland after dozens of coastal detections, with the spring breeding season bringing "additional risk factors." He admitted, "This is likely to be a very serious event." Watt stated the government invested about $47 million over the last couple of years in building up populations of threatened species, including removing feral cats, pigs, and other invasive species.
However, the strategy for native birds appears to be one of managed decline. Watt explained that vaccine trials are underway, but vaccinating wild bird populations is not feasible. He noted, "It requires two doses of vaccines, and it's hard enough to catch these birds once, let alone twice to give them a booster, so realistically it's not possible to vaccinate native birds." Instead, the government has funded "a lot of work in captive breeding, so in zoos or other facilities," focusing on building populations in controlled environments. This approach suggests a retreat from protecting wild populations in their natural habitat.
MacIntyre also highlighted the significant knowledge gap regarding the susceptibility of Australia's unique marsupials and monotremes to bird flu. "We have these unique species of wildlife that don't exist anywhere else in the world and it's unknown," she warned. The nation faces a profound challenge to its natural identity, with its unique fauna under unprecedented pressure from a globally spreading pathogen and what appears to be a reactive, rather than proactive, elite response.