Project Eden flourishing in Shark Bay

A Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) project in the Shark Bay region is showing positive results with increasing numbers of once thought extinct native animals returning to Francois Peron National Park.

The program, called Project Eden, was launched in 1994 and has resulted in several species that had once been locally extinct now becoming re-established in their former range.  These include the malleefowl, southern brown bandicoot, bilby, woylie and, most recently, the chuditch.

Environment Minister Bill Marmion today visited the World Heritage-listed Shark Bay region to inspect progress with the wildlife recovery program.

"Since 1994, DEC and its predecessor have undertaken extensive feral animal control measures.  Foxes have effectively been eradicated, the sheep population is zero and wild goats have been culled to just a number of small, isolated mobs," Mr Marmion said.

"The major 'feral focus' is now on cats. The current baiting regime is keeping the cat population stable and relatively low level."

The Minister joined DEC Shark Bay District staff in monitoring chuditch, a small native carnivore, that were released on to the peninsula early last month.  Radio collars had been fitted to the nine animals so they could be monitored to assess their survival and distribution.

"It was encouraging that we were able to locate some of the animals and with continued feral cat control, it is expected that the reintroduced animals will begin breeding and the population will grow," he said.

"An important component of Project Eden is a captive breeding program in the national park. Native animals bred at the centre supply stock that can be reintroduced into areas in which they thrived in pre-European times.

"The breeding program will play a key role in reconstructing the native fauna of Dirk Hartog Island National Park within Shark Bay.  The Government acquired the island with the aim of creating a national park that will become an outstanding conservation reserve."