Abstract for presentation at Biodiversity Extinction Crisis Conference - A Pacific Response

Classical conservation biology focuses on the mechanisms for conserving species or ecosystems and how to mitigate factors that affect survival, reproduction and recruitment. Scientific approaches may be through genetics, conservation of single species (life history), populations, habitats (interactions and use), communities or ecosystems. There are inevitable interesting questions about appropriate scales (temporal and spatial) and ecosystem integrity and resilience. Concerted effort in conservation biology means that we now know much about the effects of threatening processes on ecosystem processes but we have a much harder time reducing these particularly if they are related to anthropogenic impacts. I focus on how Australia’s needs for water particularly for irrigation have affected the conservation of freshwater ecosystems. Then I examine the different societal objectives and their inevitable clash as these objectives relate to river management. This is most starkly illustrated by the policies and culture of Government water agencies which historically have been the polar opposite to conservation policies and culture for wetlands and rivers and their dependent biodiversity. Where have we come from and what does the future hold? Most importantly, how can conservation biology influence debates where there are contrasting positions within the community and government?