Environment and Other News

Friend -- Outdated regulations are putting freshwater ecosystems at risk - tell Josh Frydenberg to update this list today ! In September 2016 Friends of the Earth produced the report:   Pesticides in Australian Waterways Overview . The results were shocking with 89% of the almost 200 pesticides detected having no ecological guidelines under the current system. Many of the unregulated pesticides detected are known to be harmful to animals like the long necked turtle, affect their food supply and cause havoc and destruction for fragile ecosystems in Australian waterways. Let Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg know it is time to update the ANZECC guidelines to protect our waterways . Australia’s ecological guidelines for waterways, the ANZECC Guidelines, have not been updated since the year 2000. Work is very slowly progressing to update the 2000 Guidelines. Friends of the Earth have determined that 95% of Agvet chemicals registered for use...

Yesterday, another baby Humpback was caught in gillnets! This time in Shelly Beach off the central coast of NSW. [1] Luckily, with the help of quick acting rescue crews from Organisation for the Rescue and Research of Cetaceans in Australia (ORRCA), it escaped and was safely returned to its mother. This comes just weeks after NSW Premier Mike Baird announced he will launch a trial of these lethal nets along northern NSW beaches. Evidence shows that gillnets don’t make people safer. But they do indiscriminately kill whales, turtles, rays and many more harmless victims. So why is Baird pursuing this ineffective and destructive plan? Tell the Federal Environment Minister to reject Baird’s plan for nets on NSW beaches. Last year, our movement helped convince Baird not to put gillnets in northern NSW - but two weeks ago, that all changed. Baird backflipped - announcing a trial of these lethal nets, starting as soon as next month. We all love the beach. And safety alw...