“In the Amazon and the Nile and the Mississippi, there’s nothing without a backbone that’s bigger than these animals. A new government recovery plan, signed by the federal and state governments, and released by the ABC, suggests that their numbers could decline further without improved monitoring and greater protection. Walsh said the biggest threat to the survival of the species was sediment, which is increased by clearfell logging operations. According to the recovery plan, there are permanent production forests in 17 of the 22 catchments where the species is known to occur, or is likely to occur. But the Hodgman government tore up that agreement and has pledged to open up forestry reserves, which conservationists say could have a devastating impact on the lobster species.

Source: The Guardian August 18, 2017 22:07 UTC