The following Draft Conservation Policy is primarily the work of Kevin
Bonham and Don Hird, aided by discussions with others and the encouragement
of the club committee.
I. Purpose
1. The purpose of this policy is to more clearly define the support
for conservation embodied in the club's constitution; both to enable the
club's position to be more easily recognised and to help members in representing
club views.
II. General
2. The natural world, encompassing flora, fauna, other biota
and landforms, is highly valuable and provides inspiration, scientific
interest and beauty, as well as providing an important source of human
resources.
3. Tas FieldNats encourage the protection of all native species and
other taxa in sustainable natural populations.
4. Tas FieldNats also encourages the retention of areas of all natural
ecosystem-types and representative examples of significant landforms.
5. Tas FieldNats are committed to increasing and disseminating knowledge
of the natural world through the study, recording and discussion of natural
history information.
6. Tas FieldNats encourages the pursuit of other conservation goals
where these do not interfere with biodiversity-type conservation and research.
7. Tas FieldNats also does not necessarily object to resource extraction
provided that it is clearly demonstrated that this does not interfere with
biodiversity-type conservation.
III. Historical
8. Tasmania's conservation reserve system has developed in a
piecemeal fashion. While extremely valuable, it is neither comprehensive
nor representative.
9. Tasmania's knowledge base with respect to biodiversity and the biology
of recognised biotas is manifestly inadequate.
10. Colonial land distribution practices have resulted in some habitat
types occurring largely or entirely on private land. This distribution
also includes sensitive streamside and near-coastal habitats in many places.
11. The rate of potentially harmful habitat change, currently most
notably land clearance, has continued to increase throughout Tasmania's
European history; some habitat types have already been entirely lost in
this way.
12. Conservation debates have been extensively corrupted by extreme
misstatement, polarisation and poor identification and prioritisation of
issues by both "sides".
IV. Proposals
13. Noting the demonstrable public demand for effective conservation,
Tas FieldNats encourage governments to act energetically as trustees of
the interested public in adequately protecting wildlife and habitats.
14. Tas FieldNats advocates a sustainable, comprehensive and representative
biodiversity-based reserve system as fundamental to meaningful long-term
conservation.
15. Tas FieldNats advocates clear, publicly stated and affirmative
government conservation strategies, accompanied by stated responsibilities,
targets, timetables and audit mechanisms.
16. Tas FieldNats encourage sponsorship of adequate studies of a professional
standard of native biota, distributed throughout the different taxa.
17. Tas FieldNats discourage complacency in regard to habitat loss
on the grounds that this will unquestionably result in the loss of species,
whether currently recognised or not.
18. Tas FieldNats encourages groups and individuals advocating conservation
to restrict themselves to considered and responsible public statements.
19. Tas FieldNats encourages resolution of conservation conflicts through
dialogue between stakeholders. Ultimately, however, Tas FieldNats
believe that adequate conservation measures must have priority over resource
extraction in such circumstances.
20. Tas FieldNats does not recognise State policies and practices as
innately superior. Tas FieldNats encourage the use of national and
international standards where these will result in more comprehensive,
efficient and integrated approaches to biodiversity conservation.
21. Tas FieldNats advocates efficient, strategic and appropriate deployment
of conservation resources, aided by thorough public consultation.
22. Tas FieldNats are committed to consultative, forthright and fully
reciprocal discussion of conservation issues.
23. Tas FieldNats encourages thorough analysis of environmental impacts
in a biodiversity context, as a superior alternative to emotive, ad hoc,
area-based decision making.