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| Dibblers (Parantechinus apicalis) |
A precedent setting development project will be undertaken by the state of Western Australia but instead of breaking ground on Dirk Hartog Island, conservationists hopes to repair the land of the largest island in protected Shark Bay and return it four hundred years to a ecologically pristine state. The Return to 1616 project has as its goal restoration of the 63,000 hectare island to what it was when Europeans first landed there. About 13 or more ground dwelling mammals lived on the island then
[photo] but the introduction of goats, sheep, cats and invasive plants changed the island's ecosystem permanently. From the 1860s until early 2000s the island was used by herders. The Cape Inscription lighthouse was built in 1910. The island also became popular with recreation seekers and in 2009 it became a national park. Only three mouse-sized native species remain. The Department of Environment & Conservation has already taken steps to remove sheep and is working to remove 3600 goats. It wants to eradicate them by 2014. If successful Hartog Island will be the largest goat free island in the world. Removal of the domestic herbivores will improve vegetation, food and water for indigenous species. Feral cats must also be removed from the island one section at a time through a combination of fencing, baiting and trapping. The restoration plan includes weed management, vegetation reconstruction, fire management, and security protocols to prevent new introductions of invasive species. The eighty kilometer long island is situated in the Shark Bay world heritage area on the western edge of the Australian continent. The first place European came ashore in Western Australia, it is named after a Dutch sea captain who landed at Cape Inscription in 1616.