The Sporting Shooters’ Association of Australia congratulates Dr Sally Box on her efforts for Australia’s unique and diverse fauna and flora as she finishes her role as Threatened Species Commissioner.
Dr Box took over the role from predecessor Gregory Andrews in January 2018 and has overseen the development of a 10-year Threatened Species Strategy to guide action into the future.
In an interview with the SSAA in 2018, Dr Box identified threats to a number of species that needed addressing in order to save them from extinction. These included wallaby, bandicoot, bilby and smoky mouse; bird species including parrots, owls, cockatoos and honeyeaters and plant life such as orchids, wattle, palm and gum trees.
During the past few years, she has been guiding efforts to tackle the impacts of feral cats and making advances in seed banking. She been involved in managing impacts of natural disasters such as the 2019/20 Black Summer bushfires on wildlife and vegetation. Dr Box and her office have previously recognised the efforts of SSAA members in aiding the reintroduction of western quolls in South Australia’s Flinders Ranges.
SSAA National Wildlife Programs Leader Matthew Godson congratulated Dr Box on her service to Australia’s vulnerable species.
“SSAA members perform an important role in protecting and saving wildlife and our unique environments from pest and overabundant animals,” he said.
“Dr Box and her department are great allies in our endeavours in this area.
“Better targeting our conservation efforts and using evidence-based tools has certainly helped Australia’s threatened species recover and it has been a pleasure to work with Dr Box in this space.
“We look forward to working productively with acting Threatened Species Commissioner Dr Fiona Fraser and her team into the future.”
For more information on the Threatened Species Commissioner visit www.awe.gov.au/environment/biodiversity/threatened/commissioner