Bird flu outbreak threatens Australia's iconic wildlife

Australia's iconic wildlife, from black swans to little penguins, faces an unprecedented threat as the H5N1 bird flu spreads across the continent, according to a leading environmental group. The Invasive Species Council has warned that Australians could soon look out over lakes and see no black swans, or worse, large numbers of carcasses on the shore.

First detected in migratory seabirds on a remote cape in Western Australia in June, the virus has since spread to more than 200 cases across six states, including a little penguin killed on Phillip Island in Victoria. A national risk report published by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water earlier this month identified both the little penguin and black swan as being at very high risk from bird flu in Australia.

What are the risks to Australia's native species?

Invasive Species Council chief executive Jack Gough said Australians should prepare for a confronting reality. 'Look out at lakes across Australia where we're used to seeing black swans and seeing none of them or large numbers of carcasses on the shore,' he said. 'That is going to be a confronting sight for Australians.'

Mr Gough warned the outbreak, which he admitted could not be stopped, could lead to large-scale declines in shorebird populations or even the 'loss of some iconic species that so many people love'. He pointed to the genetic isolation of Australia's wildlife as a key risk factor.

'The genetic isolation of Australia's wildlife - which makes it so incredible, unique, so special - is also a high risk factor for having really big impacts from these novel diseases turning up,' Mr Gough said. 'So, it is not unlikely that the impact on Australia's wildlife could be much worse than it has been overseas.'

Species at particular risk include vulnerable or critically endangered seabirds such as the Christmas Island frigatebird and imperial shag, as well as the beloved little penguin, which is now being vaccinated in Victoria. Oceanic dolphins, including the pygmy killer whale and common dolphin, were also found to be at high risk, along with magpie geese, robins, cockatoos, cormorants and swamphens.

The Kangaroo Island and King Island emus were rated as highly susceptible to, and at high risk of, bird flu. The Australian southern cassowary, an endangered species closely related to emus, was rated at moderate susceptibility but a high risk.

How is the government responding?

Mr Gough praised the government for its biosecurity response but urged a $200 million injection into wildlife management, including weed and feral pest control, to give native species a fighting chance.

'Look, we are not going to be able to stop bird flu,' he said. 'There is a wave of devastation that is building and is about to break across the entire continent. What we can do though is make sure that wildlife are able to recover after that first wave and are able to survive through subsequent waves.'

'So, the next five years are absolutely critical for the survival of many of Australia's wildlife ... that means governments need to invest at scale in dealing with the other threats that we know they can do something about.'

The government has already spent more than $100 million on bird flu preparedness, including surveillance and response. In parliament, Agriculture Minister Julie Collins said states and territories had identified species for vaccination programs.

'Over the weekend, the NSW government has announced priority species identified for potential vaccinations in NSW and they include little penguins and the regent honeyeaters,' she said. 'This builds, of course, on the announcements last week from the Western Australian government about its vaccination trial of threatened cockatoos at the Perth Zoo, including the Carnaby's, the Baudin's and the forest red-tailed black cockatoos.'

'The Tasmanian government, of course, has indicated that it will prioritise the vaccination of the orange-bellied parrots. And I'm pleased to advise the House an update today, the Victorian government has now commenced the vaccinations of little penguins at Phillip Island and will then do St Kilda.'

Ms Collins said 'strong biosecurity remains our strongest line of defence'. She noted that as bird flu becomes more widespread in wildlife, counting individual confirmed birds no longer gives the clearest picture of where the disease is spreading. 'That's why our reporting of the bird flu detections has now evolved from individual cases to focus on H5 events,' she said.

What can Australians expect in the coming months?

While the full impact of the outbreak remains uncertain, experts agree that the next five years will be critical for many species. The combination of a novel virus and Australia's unique, genetically isolated wildlife could result in mass die-offs and significant population declines, particularly among species already under pressure from habitat loss and other threats.

For Australians, the sight of empty lakes and beaches may become more common. But with coordinated government action and public support, there is hope that the nation's most beloved animals can weather this storm.