August 7 2010
Bob Irwin's Speech at the Harvey Bay Whale Festival
I was
asked to speak (on wildlife issues) at the Hervey
Bay Whale Festival on Saturday night.
In
2009, the Great Sandy Strait region in Queensland
(which includes Fraser Island and Hervey Bay) was
awarded Biosphere Reserve status by UNESCO. The
decision gives world wide recognition to the Fraser
Coast region being acknowledged globally as a unique
world treasure. The award puts the Great Sandy
Strait region in the same class as the Galapagos
Islands, the Central Amazon and Uluru as a unique
world environment.
This
highlights the significance of the outstanding
natural beauty of the region and the importance of
protecting this fragile asset.
In 2010 the Hervey Bay Whale Festival focused on
the many aspects of the Great Sandy Biosphere-
a place to keep special for our future
generations.
I was
asked to be part of this years' event which included
a celebration of the love of the bay's humpback
whales. The festival brought awareness to the
plight to keep our oceans abundant with this
magnificent species for future generations.
I
thanked the Fraser Coast Regional Council for
staging such a great event. And I also thanked
their wonderful event manager for all the time and
effort she put into this outstanding festival.
It is through events such as the Hervey Bay Whale
Festival, that the public can be made aware of the
pressing issues facing us in today's world.
It is
now time for urgent action, focused research and a
sustained public effort from all Australians to save
our unique wildlife before it is too late.
I think that this Hervey Bay Whale
Festival is a excellent means of celebrating these
amazing mammals of our oceans.
And most importantly, it gets the
public involved with the conservation of our marine
wildlife.
How wonderful to think that 13,000
whales will pass by these shores during this whale
season.
I am not an expert on whales,
however, along with every other Australian; I am
disgusted at the killing and cruelty inflicted upon
these magnificent creatures.
The barbaric act of harpooning these
gentle mammals brings great shame to the Japanese
Government and the Japanese people. Can you imagine
the pain and suffering these creatures feel when
they are harpooned?
It is a sad fact, that over the last
few hundred years many species of whales were hunted
almost to extinction.
Whales are magnificent, intelligent
and unique creatures that have graced our planet for
more than 50 million years –not quite as long as the
crocodiles.
It’s a sad reality that more than
30,000 whales have been killed for commercial
purposes, since the International Ban on whaling
went into effect in 1986.
And I hope the International Whaling
Commission never lifts the ban on whaling. I’d
like to congratulate the organizers and participants
in the recent ‘Paddle Out’, for sending that message
to governments, that we, the people, do not support
commercial whaling. And I believe that we need to
get more people involved in controversial issues
such as these. Where we see injustice and
cruelty – we must speak out!!
**********
I’ve always had a deep respect for
all animals.
To me, they’ve always been incredibly
beautiful and intriguing creatures.
Looking back on it, a childhood spent
running amok in the Dandenongs, in Victoria, set me
up for a lifetime love of Australia’s amazing
wildlife.
But in the last few years, I’ve
become increasingly concerned for the animals and
our environment.
The more I think about the plight of
our native species, and our biodiversity in general,
the more worried I become.
So many of our unique fauna are
teetering on the brink of extinction, and if we
don’t act as a nation, even our more ‘common’
species will soon be lost.
Take the kangaroo for example
–arguably Australia’s most iconic animal, yet every
night thousands of kangaroos have been killed in the
world’s largest land based wildlife slaughter.
The kangaroo industry exploits
declining populations of kangaroos for nothing more
than greed and profit margins.
I find the kangaroo industry and its
standards of animal welfare absolutely appalling,
and I believe it is criminal that it is allowed to
exist in a country that supposedly prides itself on
animal welfare practices.
It is perfectly clear that the
kangaroo industry is unsustainable, as the industry
is killing kangaroos barely of breeding age –
destroying kangaroos faster than they can breed.
The kangaroo industry is in decline,
taking our precious national symbol with it, and
destroying one of our main assets – the tourist
industry.
Tourism is worth 420 times that of
the disgusting kangaroo industry.
Simply take a trip outside of our
urban areas – where once wallabies and roos used to
abound.
Now it is grimly evident that
kangaroos and wallabies are treading a very thin
line.
I would ask all Australians to
totally boycott all products derived from kangaroos.
As a nation, we need to adjust our
attitude towards wildlife and the natural
environment.
We are facing a pressing crisis as we
lose biodiversity which affects all of humanity.
We continue to lose biodiversity at a
rate never before seen – some say at a rate 1000
times higher than the historical rate.
Since white settlement, our
environmental record has been abysmal and if we
continue at the current rate of destruction, what
will be left for our future generations?
Our biodiversity and unique flora and
fauna should surely make us value and appreciate our
natural magnificence more, yet sadly, federal
legislation lists over 1500 Australian species as
threatened with extinction.
A further 3000 ecosystems have also
been listed as ‘under threat.’
It’s as though we haven’t yet
realized that extinction is final!
We must realize that our very
existence is intricately connected and deeply rooted
in the natural environment.
If we continue to destroy our
environment, it seems to me, that we will eventually
destroy ourselves.
We are so incredibly fortunate to
live in a country that allows democratic expression
and we must use our power to assert our opinions in
a positive manner that benefits the environment.
We must realize what a lucky country
we live in, and how fortunate we are to still have
areas of undisturbed natural beauty, and as such we
must actively protect those incredible areas that do
remain.
It’s time for us to give something
back to our environments and recognize that every
individual can make a difference.
******
In the last few years, I have been
fortunate enough to work with a number of dedicated
wildlife and conservation organizations.
Run on a voluntary basis by a
passionate few, the people who run these groups have
clearly not lost their connection with nature, and
strive step by step to improve the circumstances for
wildlife and its habitats all around Australia.
In South Australia, a wonderful group
of friends run a wombat conservation organisation
(Wombat Awareness Organisation) which aims to
preserve the Southern Hairy Nosed Wombat and prevent
it heading down the road to extinction, like its
more northerly relative.
They rescue and care for and release
hundreds of wombats annually.
I am working with Wombat Awareness,
trying to raise funds to buy 8000 acres of wombat
country in South Australia – to be locked up forever
for the Southern Hairy Nosed wombats.
You can find out more about Wombat
Awareness Organisation and their work from a link on
my website.
******
Friends near Gympie decided to turn
their passions for freshwater turtles into a
dedicated breeding facility for rare and endangered
freshwater turtles.
The captive bred turtles are then
released back into their natural habitats in an
effort to try to halt the population declines that
are occurring, mostly due to habitat
destruction.
I had the honour of releasing a few
of these hatchlings in various waterways around Qld.
Knowing that the tiny life that fits
in the palm of my hand could go on to be a vital
component in the recovery of an endangered species
is truly a humbling experience.
More about Gabrielle and Craig
Latta’s inspiring work can be found on my web site –
Bob Irwin Wildlife.com
******
I would like to talk to you now about
a couple of issues within this very region.
Back in my younger days, during my
time out in the Australian scrub, I have been lucky
enough to see wild-dogs that would be almost 100%
dingo and I have been awed by their hunting ability
and survival skills.
So often these animals get a
reputation for being a nuisance; scaring tourists
and stealing food.
Is it not though, our fault, for
putting these instinct- based animals in unnatural
circumstances?
I think we seriously need to take
stock of what we, as humans, have been responsible
for, before we accuse and blame the animals for any
wrongdoing.
Why is it that we blame the Fraser
Island Dingo for the problems we have caused.
We took the brumbies off the
island.
A food source gone.
It would seem that the dingo is no
longer allowed to scavenge along the beach – which
it has done for 100’s of years.
Another food source gone.
Increased visitor numbers to Fraser
Island – another problem.
Large and unsightly ear tags are used
to identify the dingoes and to enable rangers to
know which animal to destroy if it continues to go
onto the beach close to humans.
It seems that the culling of the
alpha males and females has led to social disorder,
allowing for a situation in which siblings are
pairing off.
The cumbersome ear tags, which the
DERM rangers attach, cause the ear to fold over,
thus affecting one of the animal’s important
senses.
These ear tags can also provide a
source of infection.
It is cruel to disfigure and affect
the animal’s senses with these tags.
Save Fraser Island Dingoes
Incorporated is working tirelessly to bring the
plight of the Fraser Island Dingoes to the attention
of the public.
Their aim is to ensure that the
Fraser Island Dingo remains an integral part of this
World heritage listed island.
It is unfortunate that the rules and
regulations are designed by humans for humans;
not much thought is given to the suffering and
safety of the animals.
Jennifer Parkhurst is being charged
by the Department of Environment and Research
Management for feeding starving dingoes on the
Island.
Here we have a government that
condones the slaughter of thousands of kangaroos and
yet they persecute a person for feeding starving
animals. Our governments have no more moral or
ethical standards than the Japanese government.
I would call on Anna Bligh (Premier)
or Kate Jones (Minister for the Environment) to have
these charges dismissed, as nothing will be gained
by continuing to persecute this person.
I believe, that Jennifer has suffered
enough.
I also believe, that if the present
management plan is allowed to continue, more people
will be charged with feeding starving animals.
I am not a person who deliberately
breaks the law, but it would be impossible for me to
ignore a starving animal.
The Fraser Island Dingo is the last
of the species.
In current times, as we are so
rapidly losing species at unfathomable rates, surely
we should be doing all that we can to protect those
last survivors.
The scientists, general public and
governments, all have to work together to achieve
long term sustainability for the Fraser Island
Dingo.
*******
Another very important issue in South
East Queensland is the plight of our koalas.
The government in their wisdom
ignored the advice of researchers and scientists for
many years, and now, in SE QLD, we have localized
extinctions of this Aussie icon.
At the present rate of koala habitat
destruction, the koala will certainly disappear from
many parts of Queensland’s south east.
However, researchers and
organizations, such as Koala Diaries.com are working
very hard to reverse the current trend.
Please get behind them and give them
your support.
******
Another issue which requires urgent
attention is the legal and illegal killing of
dugongs and turtles.
I have called for a short term
moratorium to enable research to be carried out to
ascertain if the continued hunting of dugongs and
turtles could lead to the possible extinction of
these magnificent creatures.
If you’d like more information on
this issue, please visit my website.
*******
How bad do conditions in our world
environments, have to get, before we will be
prepared to take responsibility for our actions.
We need to remember that every single
creature has a place in the overall scheme of
things, and we need to develop a respect for the
sanctity of all life.
We cannot exist in isolation from our
earth’s wildlife.
We do not own the world – we belong
to it, and what we do affects the rest of the
world.
When will we start using our common
sense and realize that we have to clean up the mess
we’ve made.
Our natural world is in dire trouble,
and the onus is on us to cure it.
We have to find better ways; more
creative ways to sustain life on this earth.
We must preserve the environment for
all future generations, so I call on All Australians
–
-to reconnect with the environment
that supports us so generously
-to appreciate the incredibly unique
wildlife that we are lucky enough to have in this
country
-to stand up and protect what we so
often take for granted, and most importantly, to
walk with reverence on our beautiful land.
And as the motto of this festival
says -
"Individually, we are one drop,
together, we are an ocean. Together we can make a
difference."
Acknowledgements: Fraser Coast
Regional Council and their sponsors.
Amanda French – Festival Manager
