Fears for ‘shadow species slipping into the dark' as cockatoo conservation bid rejected

Sydney Morning Herald

22-07-2025

The West Australian government has rejected a nomination to upgrade the conservation status of the Baudin's black cockatoo from 'endangered' to 'critically endangered', in what advocates have called a death knell for the species.
BirdLife WA claims the WA Threatened Species Scientific Committee's decision, which took 18 months, represents science being sidelined and systemic failure, and accused the committee of being under pressure from the mining industry.
The organisation formally nominated the species for up-listing in 2023, a bid it says was backed by research showing a 90 per cent population decline over three generations, or about 40 years, with as few as 2500 to 4000 breeding individuals remaining.
The IUCN, Action Plan for Australian Birds, and BirdLife International have all listed Baudin's cas critically endangered, but BirdLife WA says the WA committee cited insufficient data.
'The birds will vanish while the government argues over data,' said BirdLife WA spokesperson Dr Mark Henryon.
'If the system won't act now, what's it waiting for – zero birds left?'
Environment Minister Matthew Swinbourn said he understood the depth of public concern, and relied on independent scientific advice for such decisions.
'I give careful, ongoing consideration to these matters, and I'm acutely aware of the responsibility that comes with decisions affecting species at risk,' he said.
Swinbourn said the WA Threatened Species Scientific Committee comprised leading scientists with relevant expertise and operated independently, using internationally recognised criteria, including those of the IUCN, to assess the evidence.