An independent NGO working with Indigenous Rangers and Indigenous Protected Areas nationwide says Indigenous Rangers and IPAs are an integral part of the frontline response to the deadly H5 bird flu and need to be supported properly to do their work.
Country Needs People chief executive Paddy O'Leary said Australia is "really in the fight of our lives" to protect nature "with thousands of birds as well as native mammals facing severe impact from bird flu".
"With over 300 Indigenous Ranger groups working across Australia, and now over 55 per cent of Australia's reserves on land Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs), the long term work of Indigenous Rangers has never been more important," he said.
Country Needs People Senior Partner Support, Gumbaynggirr, Bundjalung and Gamilaraay man Nathan Brennan, said noted that "Country is Culture".
"Our connection to Country is everything. When Country is sick, we are sick," he said.
"Many of these species listed as high risk of bird flu are culturally significant to our people across Australia. From brolgas to mutton birds, magpie geese, cassowaries, swans, wedgetail eagles, pelicans and many more.
"Indigenous Rangers' mandate is to protect nature and culture on land and sea, so ensuring Traditional Owners are properly supported as part of the ongoing response to bird flu is vital, and that means long term sustained ability to work on and look after Country."
Mr O'Leary said it is now "more critical than ever" that Indigenous Rangers, IPAs "and Caring for Country work are properly supported by both federal and state governments, so we can get real outcomes for our birds and native species, and mitigate species loss".
Indigenous Rangers manage 96 Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) across Australia, covering over 122 million hectares of land and sea. These are crucial habitat areas for hundreds of thousands of birds including threatened species such as the red goshawk on Tiwi Islands IPA (NT), eastern curlew in tayaritjta (Furneaux Islands IPAs, TAS), night parrot on Ngururrpa IPA, and southern cassowary on Girringun IPA (QLD).
IPAs often contain islands and habitats which are predator and weed free, or can be made to be so with sustained management. When that's the case they can act as effective sanctuaries where there is less pressure on populations of native species.
Indigenous Rangers' work controlling and removing threats such as buffel grass, gamba grass, and numerous feral species from feral cats to feral pigs, feral camels and feral buffalo will be vital to the survival of Australia's birds and native species over the long term.
"We certainly need an uplift to the funding to keep our wildlife and ecosystems resilient across Australia", Mr O'Leary said.
"We need to take it to the next level and have sustained investment on practical action on the ground to deal with invasives, reduce threats, protect habitat and give our wildlife a fighting chance.
"Ongoing security is also needed for the work being done across Australia by Indigenous Rangers and within IPAs. We need to be in this for the long haul, with increased pressures from climate change, extreme weather, drought, habitat destruction and biosecurity threats like bird flu, our wildlife needs all the help it can get."
Country Needs People is a national non-profit non-partisan organisation led by a majority Indigenous board and committed to Indigenous Land & Sea Management. Alongside 50 Indigenous Partners, Country Needs People "works to grow, strengthen and advocate for Indigenous Rangers, to ensure Traditional Owners and their organisations are properly supported to deliver land and sea management Australia-wide".
