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Conservation

Relaxed laws imperil Australian wildlife

Nature volume 498, page 434 (2013)Cite this article

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Policy and legislative changes by Australia's state governments are eroding the vital protection of the country's unique biodiversity.

Reserves are being opened up to ecologically disruptive activities, such as grazing by domestic livestock, logging, mining, recreational hunting and fishing, and commercial development. Protected habitats on private and leasehold land are imperilled too. Queensland and Victoria, for example, are relaxing hard-won laws that limit vegetation clearance on private land, further accelerating the loss of regional biodiversity.

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  1. Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia

    Euan G. Ritchie

  2. On behalf of 21 co-signatories. See Supplementary Information for full list.,

    Euan G. Ritchie

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  1. Euan G. Ritchie
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Correspondence to Euan G. Ritchie.

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Ritchie, E. Relaxed laws imperil Australian wildlife. Nature 498, 434 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1038/498434d

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