Environment Minister Bill Marmion says logging won't affect black cockatoos
Sunday, March 4, 2012 at 23:51 
The Conservation Council wants our forests protected because they contain critical food resources for black cockatoo species. Photo: PerthNow THE Environment Minister has rejected a call from the state's peak conservation group to protect threatened species of cockatoos by halting logging in the South-West.
In a letter to the Conservation Council of WA, obtained by PerthNow, Minister Bill Marmion dismissed their proposal for a moratorium on logging in the Arcadia, Warrup and Helms forests.
Mr Marmion said he also did not support a proposal to audit cockatoo food resources amid claims from the conservationists that the birds are starving to death.
NO THREAT: Environment Minister Bill Marmion has rejected calls to end logging to protect black cockatoos. Photo: Theo FakosConservation Council of WA spokesman John McCarten said more than 5000 people had signed a petition requesting the moratorium to protect the Carnaby's, Baudin's and forest red-tailed black cockatoos.
He said they wanted the forests protected because they contained critical food resources for the cockatoos.
"The evidence that was brought up in the Government’s 2008 cockatoo recovery plan says conservation of feeding and breeding habitats of forest black cockatoos relies on the protection of marri, karri and jarrah habitats,” Mr McCarten said.
"If we're clearing marri and jarrah habitat, which we necessarily are by logging, then we're definitely going to be affecting cockatoo numbers.
"We're coming out of a very big drought; the fires have devastated the cockatoos' habitat, and they're not doing well.''
Mr Marmion said there was no scientific evidence to suggest that harvesting activities were putting the black cockatoos at risk.