Leadbeater’s possum Gymnobelideus leadbeateri – this possum is a shy small nocturnal marsupial, highly agile and living only in Victoria and habitats within the tall eucalypt forests within Central Victoria. This possum is regarded as one of the rare members of our fauna species.
THE top scientific authority on the endangered Leadbeater’s possum has quit from a team trying to save it, in protest over policies he argues will ”lock in” the animal’s extinction.
David Lindenmayer, who has studied the possum for 30 years, said he could no longer work with ”the most environmentally bankrupt administration” and would resign from the recovery team after more than a decade.
In a resignation letter to Environment Minister Ryan Smith, Professor Lindenmayer described current policies as ”unable to appropriately protect” the animal. As a result, he could no longer be part of ”such a highly ineffective body”.
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”We know that almost half of Leadbeater’s possum’s habitat was fried in 2009 yet there’s been absolutely no change to the amount of logging that is going on in those forests,” he said. ”Locking in 20-year contracts for the forests in Victoria will lock in the extinction of Leadbeater’s possum and I can’t be involved in a recovery team that has no effect on environmentally bankrupt policy.”– Making himself extinct: ‘absolute disgrace’ prompts Leadbeater’s possum scientist to quit (2012-Sep-12) [the Age]
Seriously; having worked on Flora & Fauna Guarantee action plans in my past I’d have to agree with the bankrupt administration line. An Environment Minister who ignores the action plans for endangered species is both morally and ethically bankrupt.
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