Introduction

Recent reports on the impacts of prescribed burns on wildlife in southwest Western Australia, including threatened species such as the numbat and western ringtail possum, have placed a spotlight on the scientific credibility and suitability of methods being used by the Western Australian Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions to achieve their stated aims of:

• mitigating the severity of bushfires and to help protect lives and property by reducing the build-up of flammable fuel loads;
• maintaining biodiversity;
• rehabilitating vegetation after disturbance, such as timber harvesting and mining; and
• undertaking research on fire and its interaction with our environment.

The use of aerially dropped incendiaries is of particular concern due to factors such as the potential for fires to get out of control and burn in unnatural patterns that wildlife may have difficulty escaping. That these methods are being used in a Biodiversity Hotspot and area of great significance to First Nations people, and that they may be considered for broader use around Australia makes an analysis of the potential environmental and cultural damage they are causing even more important and urgent.

Proposal

An analysis of the wildlife impacts of the current Western Australian Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions prescribed burning regime from a biodiversity and animal welfare perspective, with recommendations for improving practices. A survey of views of local Indigenous, conservation, wildlife rehabilitation and fire management groups will be required for greater context.

Scope

The project will look at the conservation and welfare impacts of Western Australia’s prescribed burning practices on native Australian wildlife, with a particular focus on the March 25 burn in Perup which scorched an estimated 1,900 hectares of forest. Important components of the study include:

• the ability of wildlife (including mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians and invertebrates) to avoid fire and escape fire zones in prescribed burns conducted by WA’s DBCA;
• the rescue and care of animals suffering from burns associated with the prescribed burns;
• biodiversity impacts and the suitability of burn intervals and temperatures for wildlife habitats (i.e. numbat dens), Threatened Ecological Communities, and threatened flora species;
• differences between the techniques used and traditional Indigenous burning practices;
• whether prescribed burns performed in this manner may be causing more wildlife suffering and biodiversity loss than the wildfires they are intended to prevent.

Method

Project methods should be proposed in applications, with HSI Australia open to discussing and refining them with the successful applicant prior to the project commencing. However, the ability to thoroughly analyse the fire scar using GIS software and a high level of understanding of the biodiversity of the region and relevant local groups to liaise with throughout the project are essential.

Deliverable

A complete but undesigned report outlining the methodology, analysis, findings and recommendations that will be packaged and produced into a designed and printed report by HSI Australia. HSI Australia staff will be available to guide and assist the successful applicant throughout the project timeframe.

Timing

HSI is open to tenders for this project until Sunday the 13th of June 2021. A three-month contract with the successful applicant is intended to be entered into the following week, with the completed report packaged and ready for design in early September for production to be completed by late September.

Budget

Budget guide: $7,500-$10,000 (design and printing budget not included).

About Humane Society International Australia

Humane Society International is a conservation and animal welfare advocacy organisation that has been established in Australia since 1994. The organisation is proudly responsible for the scientific nomination behind over 75 species and 40 ecological communities listed as threatened under Australian law, and following the Black Summer bushfires has a growing focus on fire management and wildlife emergency response. HSI coordinates a network of more than 750 wildlife sanctuaries and carers across Australia called the Wildlife Land Trust, and many WLT members are directly involved in wildlife rescue, rehabilitation and recovery efforts. HSI has been providing grants to WLT members and other wildlife carers across the country to assist with these efforts. These factors give HSI a uniquely well-informed perspective for managing this project in partnership with a researcher.

How to apply:

Applications for this project should be emailed to admin@hsi.org.au for the attention of HSI Australia’s Head of Program Evan Quartermain. For further information please email or call 1800 333 737.