Living Rivers law needed for healthy wetlands
02 Feb 2008
WWF is marking World Wetlands Day on Saturday 2 February by calling on the Northern Territory Government to honour its 2005 election commitment for a strong 'Living Rivers' program and law.
"Wetlands are billion-dollar assets for the economy, including tourism and fishing sectors. Dying wetlands means no barramundi, no wetland cruises," said Dr Stuart Blanch, WWF's Freshwater Manager.
Territory Labor pledged a Living Rivers program and legislation during the 2005 election campaign but no policy has been released after two-and-a-half years.
"A strong Living Rivers policy should protect major wetlands from dams, land clearing and re-directing rivers. It should help landholders remove water weeds and pigs, and stop over-grazing," Dr Blanch said.
The Living Rivers election commitment is to 'introduce a new Living Rivers program and legislation to give special status to the management of our icon rivers providing them with greater protection.'
The theme for the 2008 World Wetlands Day is Healthy Wetlands, Healthy People.
"The Territory supports 33 wetlands of national importance, with many being fed by major rivers that are highly valued by fishers, Indigenous communities and tourism operators. Examples include the estuaries of the Daly and McArthur Rivers, and floodplains along the Adelaide and Mary Rivers.
"The Northern Territory signed up to the historic National Water Initiative in 2004, which requires 'high conservation value' rivers and wetlands to be identified and protected. The Living Rivers law and program should satisfy this requirement," Dr Blanch said.
WWF and the Environment Centre NT released a report in June 2006, A way forward on developing a Living Rivers program for the Northern Territory, scoping a Living Rivers policy.
WWF is also calling for the Territory's 33 nationally important wetlands to be assessed for possible designation as internationally important wetlands under the Ramsar Wetland Convention.
"The Territory's three listed Ramsar Wetlands are already protected because they are in the Kakadu and Coburg National Parks. So in effect these Ramsar listings add little extra protection to these wetlands.
"The Territory Government has a great opportunity to protect some of the world's best wetlands under the Ramsar Convention, and to also revamp the tokenistic Territory Wetlands Strategy."
Contact
Dr Stuart Blanch, Freshwater Manager, Darwin
08 8941 7554, 0427 957 868
Background Information
1. The WWF\ECNT proposal A way forward on developing a Living Rivers program for the Northern Territory is available for download at http://wwf.org.au/ourwork/water/publications/
2. For more information about World Wetlands Day, visit the Ramsar Wetlands Convention website at www.ramsar.org
