Australia, home to unique and endangered species,confirmed its first cases of H5N1 bird flu on Australia’s mainland in late June.
The first two cases were identified in a brown skua and a southern giant petrel, found on remote beaches on WA’s south coast.¹ The third was confirmed in a giant petrel on the Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia.
These followed the arrival of bird flu at Australia’s sub-Antarctic Heard Island, where mass mortality among southern elephant seals occurred over the 2025/26 summer. Sadly, researchers estimate over 13,000 pups died across the island.²
Bird flu has already wreaked havoc on marine mammals and seabirds worldwide, and case numbers on Australia’s mainland continue to rise, with recent cases in long-nosed fur seals, common dolphins and little penguins, as well as over 20 bird species.
Cases have also been confirmed in birds and an Australian sea lion on Kangaroo Island, home to the second largest Australian sea lion colony. The endangered Australian sea lion is found nowhere else in the world, with only 12,000 individuals remaining.³ A bird flu outbreak could cause mass mortalities, potentially pushing this species to extinction.
The federal government announced $125 million to support immediate national emergency biosecurity response activities for H5 bird flu. Unfortunately, only $20 million was allocated toward building the resilience of wildlife populations.
Investing in boosting the resilience of our threatened species by protecting and restoring their habitat and reducing pressures on their populations is now essential to ensure their future.
Alongside an alliance of environmental organisations, we have been calling for a $200 million investment in funding to bolster species resilience and chances of survival in the face of compounding threats. A $20 million investment represents just 10% of what is needed if we’re to have a chance of preventing wildlife extinctions. It’s the difference between responding to bird flu and making sure our wildlife can survive it.
It’s not too late. As bird flu cases and deaths increase across the country, the need to invest in our wildlife’s resilience will become more evident.
Tell the government $20 million isn’t good enough to protect our unique Australian species, some found nowhere else in the world.
Please add your name to email the Environment and Agriculture Ministers to request the funds needed to mitigate the catastrophic impacts this could have on our wildlife.
We cannot afford to wait.
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By adding your name, you will email Environment Minister Murray Watt and Agriculture Minister Julie Collins.
Please be respectful and refrain from personal attacks or derogatory language in your submission. Know that someone reads this and that your actions have an impact.
Reference:
- Waller, P., & Chounding, A. (2026, June 22). Second case of deadly H5 bird flu confirmed in southern WA. ABC News. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-06-22/second-case-of-deadly-h5-bird-flu-confirmed-in-southern-wa
- McInnes et al. (2026). Mass mortality of southern elephant seals during multi-species outbreak of HPAI H5N1 on sub-Antarctic Heard Island. bioRxiv. https://doi.org/10.64898/2026.06.16.732752
- Stock, P. (2026, June 21). ‘A genuine wildlife emergency’: everything you need to know about the arrival of H5 bird flu in Australia. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2026/jun/21/h5-bird-flu-australia-explainer-wildlife-agriculture-human-risk
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. (2026, June 22). Funding preparedness. Australian Government. https://www.dcceew.gov.au/environment/invasive-species/diseases-fungi-and-parasites-australia/h5-avian-influenza-bird-flu/funding-preparedness