Maria Island Translocation Project
Published: 09/06/2010
Semi-wild populations of devils can be protected on islands, or virtual islands, where they are isolated from the disease by fences or water. A range of potential sites around Tasmania is under investigation by the Program, including large-scale fenced areas (many hundreds of hectares) and off-shore islands.
The Program is currently exploring the potential to use Maria Island as a translocation site. The Maria Island Translocation Project comprises three aspects that will be carried out over the next 12 months.
The first aspect, a natural values and environmental impact assessment including baseline surveys, is already under way. This data will inform the decision of whether or not to release devils onto Maria Island. The second and third aspects involve the release of devils on the island and ongoing post-release monitoring and management.
Wildlife biologist Drew Lee said this cautious approach would be initially an information-gathering process – the first step towards the long-term goal of using islands as disease-free sanctuaries.
"There are two main issues that we need to monitor," Drew said. "The first is the impact of the devils on the environment. The second is the affect on the devils themselves.
"We’re trying to get as much information as possible before we go ahead with any full-scale translocation."
Monitoring teams have been surveying all aspects of the Maria Island landscape, including wildlife and heritage sites. There has been a particular interest in the species that may be devil prey (such as introduced marsupials and ground nesting birds), as well as other top-order carnivores that will compete for food (cats, eagles, and ravens).
So why choose Maria Island?
A preliminary Environmental Risk Assessment determined there were no indications that devils would significantly impact threatened flora and fauna. Other reasons include the Island’s proximity, as well as the fact that it is managed solely by the Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service, allowing ease of access and management.
Significantly, Maria Island has also been the site of past translocations. These species include brush-tailed possums, common wombats, Bennetts wallabies, Forester kangaroos and Cape Barren geese.
Wildlife biologist Phil Wise said the Save the Tasmanian Devil Program recognised the need for sensitivity and forethought when introducing wild animals to a landscape outside their natural range.
"Internationally, this approach is only considered feasible when a species’ normal habitat is threatened," he said.
"Sadly, with DFTD running rampant across mainland Tasmania, the devil now finds itself in exactly that situation."
Other examples of island translocations recently documented in Australia include the introduction of northern quolls to offshore islands in the Northern Territory as a conservation response to the threat of cane toads. The second involved the introduction of a breeding population of the endangered dibblers to Escape Island, in Western Australia.
