Australia, home to unique and endangered species, has recently confirmed three cases of H5N1 bird flu on our coasts as of 24th June, the first recorded cases on the Australian mainland.
The first two cases were identified in a Brown Skua and a 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 are in addition to confirmed cases on Heard Island that caused mass mortality among southern elephant seals in late 2025/early 2026. Sadly, researchers estimate over 13,000 pups died across the island.²
This sub-Antarctic Australian island is home to over a million breeding seals and seabirds, and has become the latest frontline in the global spread of bird flu, which has already wreaked havoc on marine mammals and seabirds worldwide.
Species like the endangered Australian sea lion, are found nowhere else – with only 12,000 individuals remaining.³ A bird flu outbreak could cause mass mortalities, potentially pushing this species to extinction.
The Federal government previously committed $113 million to combat bird flu, $35.9 million of which is allocated to protecting threatened species and priority biodiversity.⁴
Funding for preparedness efforts to date has been vital. These plans now need to be implemented urgently, and have already been successfully implemented in Western Australia.
With the threat now present in Australia, the Australian Government must urgently:
- Establish an additional fund for national wildlife resilience of at least $200 million over the next two years. This must prioritise protection and recovery of threatened wildlife populations, minimising threats before bird flu spreads beyond the existing cases.
- Scale up public communication, including through non-government partners to achieve this effectively.
The experience worldwide demonstrates the potential for this virus to be catastrophic for Australia’s unique wildlife and threatened species.
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.
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.
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