March 13, 2025 • 13 mins
This week John Fabris asks whether humans are the cause of the recent whale deaths on the West Coast, and looks at fauna fears for the Robbins Island Wind Farm.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:01):
iHeart Azzi.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Gooday there, it's John Fabris. Welcome to iHeart Tassy, today's
program dedicated to themes connected to Tasmania's natural world, touching
on the Robins Island wind farm a bit later. We've
heard both labor and the Liberal Stay government advocating its
construction in the Northwest for jobs green energy production. Yet
(00:23):
it's attracted many voices fiercely a post on environmental grounds. First, though,
let's discuss the recent stranding and deaths of one hundred
and fifty seven false kill at Wales on Tasmania's West coast,
where joined by doctor Carroll Palmer, a senior research specialist
on the topic at Charles Darwin University in the NT. Carol,
(00:45):
is there any data suggesting strandings are happening more frequently
across the world or is it pretty much status quo?
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Well, look, it's a very important question. It really depends
a little bit on people that are doing the research,
gets recorded and information. It's very hard to know. But
there's obviously a lot more going on in the sea
country and the oceans, along with climate change and a
lot more noise underwater which could be really impacting, certainly
(01:14):
on our dolphins which are false killer whales. Yeah, maybe
that is part of it. It is so expensive to
undertake this sort of research. The sea research is so
much harder and costly compared to the land research. One
hundred percent support the most beautiful land researcher goes globally,
but the sea country and the ocean. Yeah, it's very difficult.
(01:36):
We're all very sad. We've never heard of that many
false killer whales one hundred and fifty seven stranding on
the northwest coast of Tazi. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Well, the last time that particular species stranded in Tasmania
was nineteen seventy four from memory, so half a century ago,
and that was near Stanley on the northwest coast. That
particular species doesn't have a big history here in Tasmania
of strandings.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
No, and certainly up here in the Northern Territory were well.
I've been lucky enough to be doing research on them
and quite a few other species of dolphins. We've had
a number of minor strandings, but nothing like one hundred
and fifty seven from recent research that we carried out
with our colleagues in New Zealand and in America and
(02:23):
are based on Hawaii. Based on our DNA sampling that
we've done, we have a unique coastal species of false
killer whales here in Northern Australia, so they're not an
oceanic false killer whale, which could be the case for
those species down there in Kazi. And we know that
from New Zealand. In Hawaii with my very famous colleague,
(02:45):
he has identified two coastal species of false killer whales
and it was through his expertise that he ended up
helping to train me through the ongoing work. And we
are the only ones in the Southern Hemisphere here in
the northern territories that have actually satellite false killer whales,
our Northern Australian coastal species of false killer whales. But
(03:05):
regardless of that, we are all worried on what could
be happening to have that many they're very smart, smart mammals.
What would cause one hundred and fifty.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Seven to We know that the East coast of Tasmania
has some of the most rapidly warming waters on the planet.
I suppose the thrust of my question is is there
anything around climate change that might be impacting here?
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Well, yes, that's what many of you, myself and my
colleagues believe is happening. And when you hear also what's
been happening around the Ningaloo Reef just recently with sea
level rise, sea tents, a much bigger sort of oceanic
thing happening. I think it was about two or three
weeks ago thirty thousand fish were stranded or beached up
just along that part of the Tilboro a little bit south.
(03:52):
We've been doing work with traditional ranges and traditional ranger
groups here in many parts of remote top end of
the Northern Territory, and they all are flagging that they
are seeing sea level rise, sea temperature rise, erosion on
their coastal islands or the actual land they've been here
for centuries, century, centuries. All of us are seeing this.
(04:15):
So we're very worried. But certainly your linked Tasmania is
linked to Antarctica and that path down there, it could
be very sad about what could be going on.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Dr Carol Palmer with it's now human activity that might
cause loud noises. We have Chinese military warships creating, no
doubt a lot of noise. Is something like that a
possibility for getting internal navigation systems of whales or dolphins
out of kilter.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Yes, one hundred percent agree with that. It's something that
is obviously very very tricky to work out, do that
research and actually record that information and have the data
to be able to get it out to Australia globally,
it's not meant to be politic The way that overall
humans treat the ocean, we don't treat it very well.
(05:05):
That will impact on the dolphins, the whales, potentially, the
sea turtles, the jogongs, the fish, many things. The ocean
is what keeps this planet going, so we've got to
be a lot more careful.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
I think there's physical evidence of strandings dating back thousands
of years here in Tasmania, before the days of massive
human interference or impact on the world. That indicates natural
causes of strandings, doesn't it. And I take for example,
let's say we had a great big volcano now that
could essentially put these whales or dolphins navigation system out
(05:44):
of whack. Is that correct?
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Yes, it could be, But what's happening like, certainly in Tasmania,
I think it was twenty twenty two, twenty twenty with
your long fin pilot whales which are dolphins. Again, the
amount of strandings in Tasmania was shocking the team there
in Tasmania and the public people that actually try to
rescue them and do all the right things. It's so
good that people want to try and look after these
(06:09):
amazing marine mammals, but they're so tricky to do that
kind of rescue. But I think the world is changing
and we need to be moving forward and not ignoring
a lot what's going on in the ocean. Their world, certainly,
the whale and dolphin world is a sound world. They've
got the most amazing underwater sound and the way that
(06:30):
they talk.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
We don't know.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Enough about the way it all functions for them that
it could really knock them out of what they would
normally be doing.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
The most frustrating aspect of trying to save the whales
or dolphins that do strand is you push them back
out into the water and they simply come back again.
That tells me that they're not really going on any
other kind of programming than the one that is that
internal sensor for where they're positioned. Is that a reasonable
(06:59):
sum Well, I.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Think so, But again we still need to be undertaking
a lot more research and certainly with any of the
stranded dolphins that get released, and this is expensive, believe
it or not, satellite tagging dolphins to work out, well, look,
where do they go, what do they do and be
able to record that because with the sea country, the
(07:21):
ocean work, this is so difficult to record this movement information.
Whereas with most land animals we can do that a
lot easier, so that can be tricky too, but the
ocean and the sea country is very difficult. But the
satellite tagging can be very give us a really good
idea and make us move forward with the steps of
(07:42):
trying to work out what's going on. Everyone that I
know across Australia and my other colleagues, we are so
in love with all these most amazing marine mammals.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Ending on a high note here, I suppose doctor Carroll Palmer,
hopefully and at least your answer is different from what
I understand is at least down here in Tasmania we're
seeing Wales that we haven't seen for one hundred and
fifty years when we were slaughtering them. Now they're coming
back in numbers. At least on that level, there's some
(08:11):
positive news.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Oh look, one hundred percent agree, and we record humpback
whales up here, believe it or not. Bak your birth
just to the west of Darwin Harbor place called Fog Bay.
But we think that our humpback or the humpback whales
here got a lot of work to do on the
wales and the dolphins. But we're very pleased to see
the humpback whales increase and the other species of wales
increase in numbers. It says a lot about Tazzy because
(08:34):
it's beautiful sea country and beautiful country down there. We
want to move forward and look after our ocean and
our marine mammals.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Doctor Carol Palmer from Charles Darwin University joining us on
iHeart Tazzy. Next up the Robins Island Wind Farm in
Tasmania's northwest, closer to getting the all clear for its construction.
We'll we explore that next.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Bye hearts Azzi, iHeart.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
As he onto the Robins Island Wind Farm in Tasmania's northwest,
now the one hundred turbine project. It's faced opposition over
many years, one premise being it would pose a hazard
to the critically endangered orange ballied parrot on its migratory path. Well.
The Supreme Court recently dismissed an appeal to its approval
(09:22):
in the state's Planning Appeals Tribunal. Developer Ason's managing director
David Pollington expressing relief, it's.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Very pleasing to get to this stage. Yes, it has
been a very long time. We've been working on this
project for eight years. I won't take you through the
details of each step because we'll be here a very
long time, but it's a very pleasing result and we
look forward to getting on with the project and progressing
into construction.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Robin's Island Wind Farm's final hurdle is the approval of
the Federal Environment Minister. State Independent for Bradon Craig Garland
is a staunch opponent. Craig, you're worried about the orange
ballied parent.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Yes, I am very concerned. Like they dismissed the peel
cat here last year because there was no evidence. They
said that the birds haven't billion, there, haven't soon and
there for years, and then the data come in. The
government didn't look over it properly, and lo and behold,
they've been there on and off, moving in and around
for quite a period of time. The evidence is in
(10:19):
now the orange belly do use that area. They do
fly through there and they do it in numbers. So
it's all back on Tania pluvsect.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
Now.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
They were going to have a five month shut down
because of the orange bellied parrot. They said there was
no evidence to support that it got thrown out and
now the evidence is in. So we'll see where plupsect
goes now, and if she wants to preside over another extinction,
it'll be on her watch. Very interesting to see where
things go from here. And not only the orange bellied parrot,
all Tasmanians Aboriginal community are against anything being done out
(10:48):
there because of its heritage.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Vause also too. Your barometer, your feel in the community
is that it is largely unwanted or not.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
I'm definitely not wanted. You know. You have David Pollington
from Athens getting around saying that he had overwhelming majority
support for that project. That is a bareface lie. The
Aboriginal communities alone, they should be the ones that he'd
be listening to, but he's conveniently not meeting with them
and listening to them. Because to every man and woman
in the Aboriginal community in the state that has no
(11:20):
social license whatsoever. We've got dodgy middlemen like Ason getting
around peddling bareface lies. And then we've got major parties
acting like nothing more than corporate cheerleaders over and above
community and environment and Aboriginal heritage value. It's just absolutely
golf smacking.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
And generally with these wind farms into states, locals often
have a severe backlash against the esthetic of the wind
farms that they merely look like a blight on the horizon.
Is that a way of summing up the sentiment in
the Northwest?
Speaker 1 (11:54):
My word it is we.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Are the ones that will be impacted more than anywhere
else in the state. You know, they have to knock
down forest reserves, they have to compulsely acquire farmland. I
was told the other day the single biggest threats to
birds is global warming. So what are we advocating putting
the biggest wind farm in amongst twenty thousand migratrash or birds,
which include the orange belly parrot. The orange belly parrot
(12:16):
is one of the multitude of bird species credically endangered, threatened,
and on the brink. And here we are recognizing the
single biggest threat is global warming, and we want to
just quicken and hasten the demids of those birds by
putting a wind farm in that place, and we don't
need it there. That's the other thing. We have better
suited locations to put these wind farms and cays in
(12:38):
the way of community, environment and critically and dangered species.
But it's a bit like the salmon farmer started out
of boutique industry and now they want to put wind
farms everywhere when we don't have to.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
It's beyond mate, Great Garland State's Independent for Brandon another episode. Therefore,
you here the full program at iHeart tasing iehearts as
he
iHeart Azzi.
Speaker 2 (00:03):
Gooday there, it's John Fabris. Welcome to iHeart Tassy, today's
program dedicated to themes connected to Tasmania's natural world, touching
on the Robins Island wind farm a bit later. We've
heard both labor and the Liberal Stay government advocating its
construction in the Northwest for jobs green energy production. Yet
(00:23):
it's attracted many voices fiercely a post on environmental grounds. First, though,
let's discuss the recent stranding and deaths of one hundred
and fifty seven false kill at Wales on Tasmania's West coast,
where joined by doctor Carroll Palmer, a senior research specialist
on the topic at Charles Darwin University in the NT. Carol,
(00:45):
is there any data suggesting strandings are happening more frequently
across the world or is it pretty much status quo?
Speaker 1 (00:53):
Well, look, it's a very important question. It really depends
a little bit on people that are doing the research,
gets recorded and information. It's very hard to know. But
there's obviously a lot more going on in the sea
country and the oceans, along with climate change and a
lot more noise underwater which could be really impacting, certainly
(01:14):
on our dolphins which are false killer whales. Yeah, maybe
that is part of it. It is so expensive to
undertake this sort of research. The sea research is so
much harder and costly compared to the land research. One
hundred percent support the most beautiful land researcher goes globally,
but the sea country and the ocean. Yeah, it's very difficult.
(01:36):
We're all very sad. We've never heard of that many
false killer whales one hundred and fifty seven stranding on
the northwest coast of Tazi. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (01:44):
Well, the last time that particular species stranded in Tasmania
was nineteen seventy four from memory, so half a century ago,
and that was near Stanley on the northwest coast. That
particular species doesn't have a big history here in Tasmania
of strandings.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
No, and certainly up here in the Northern Territory were well.
I've been lucky enough to be doing research on them
and quite a few other species of dolphins. We've had
a number of minor strandings, but nothing like one hundred
and fifty seven from recent research that we carried out
with our colleagues in New Zealand and in America and
(02:23):
are based on Hawaii. Based on our DNA sampling that
we've done, we have a unique coastal species of false
killer whales here in Northern Australia, so they're not an
oceanic false killer whale, which could be the case for
those species down there in Kazi. And we know that
from New Zealand. In Hawaii with my very famous colleague,
(02:45):
he has identified two coastal species of false killer whales
and it was through his expertise that he ended up
helping to train me through the ongoing work. And we
are the only ones in the Southern Hemisphere here in
the northern territories that have actually satellite false killer whales,
our Northern Australian coastal species of false killer whales. But
(03:05):
regardless of that, we are all worried on what could
be happening to have that many they're very smart, smart mammals.
What would cause one hundred and fifty.
Speaker 2 (03:15):
Seven to We know that the East coast of Tasmania
has some of the most rapidly warming waters on the planet.
I suppose the thrust of my question is is there
anything around climate change that might be impacting here?
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Well, yes, that's what many of you, myself and my
colleagues believe is happening. And when you hear also what's
been happening around the Ningaloo Reef just recently with sea
level rise, sea tents, a much bigger sort of oceanic
thing happening. I think it was about two or three
weeks ago thirty thousand fish were stranded or beached up
just along that part of the Tilboro a little bit south.
(03:52):
We've been doing work with traditional ranges and traditional ranger
groups here in many parts of remote top end of
the Northern Territory, and they all are flagging that they
are seeing sea level rise, sea temperature rise, erosion on
their coastal islands or the actual land they've been here
for centuries, century, centuries. All of us are seeing this.
(04:15):
So we're very worried. But certainly your linked Tasmania is
linked to Antarctica and that path down there, it could
be very sad about what could be going on.
Speaker 2 (04:26):
Dr Carol Palmer with it's now human activity that might
cause loud noises. We have Chinese military warships creating, no
doubt a lot of noise. Is something like that a
possibility for getting internal navigation systems of whales or dolphins
out of kilter.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Yes, one hundred percent agree with that. It's something that
is obviously very very tricky to work out, do that
research and actually record that information and have the data
to be able to get it out to Australia globally,
it's not meant to be politic The way that overall
humans treat the ocean, we don't treat it very well.
(05:05):
That will impact on the dolphins, the whales, potentially, the
sea turtles, the jogongs, the fish, many things. The ocean
is what keeps this planet going, so we've got to
be a lot more careful.
Speaker 2 (05:19):
I think there's physical evidence of strandings dating back thousands
of years here in Tasmania, before the days of massive
human interference or impact on the world. That indicates natural
causes of strandings, doesn't it. And I take for example,
let's say we had a great big volcano now that
could essentially put these whales or dolphins navigation system out
(05:44):
of whack. Is that correct?
Speaker 1 (05:45):
Yes, it could be, But what's happening like, certainly in Tasmania,
I think it was twenty twenty two, twenty twenty with
your long fin pilot whales which are dolphins. Again, the
amount of strandings in Tasmania was shocking the team there
in Tasmania and the public people that actually try to
rescue them and do all the right things. It's so
good that people want to try and look after these
(06:09):
amazing marine mammals, but they're so tricky to do that
kind of rescue. But I think the world is changing
and we need to be moving forward and not ignoring
a lot what's going on in the ocean. Their world, certainly,
the whale and dolphin world is a sound world. They've
got the most amazing underwater sound and the way that
(06:30):
they talk.
Speaker 3 (06:31):
We don't know.
Speaker 1 (06:32):
Enough about the way it all functions for them that
it could really knock them out of what they would
normally be doing.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
The most frustrating aspect of trying to save the whales
or dolphins that do strand is you push them back
out into the water and they simply come back again.
That tells me that they're not really going on any
other kind of programming than the one that is that
internal sensor for where they're positioned. Is that a reasonable
(06:59):
sum Well, I.
Speaker 1 (07:00):
Think so, But again we still need to be undertaking
a lot more research and certainly with any of the
stranded dolphins that get released, and this is expensive, believe
it or not, satellite tagging dolphins to work out, well, look,
where do they go, what do they do and be
able to record that because with the sea country, the
(07:21):
ocean work, this is so difficult to record this movement information.
Whereas with most land animals we can do that a
lot easier, so that can be tricky too, but the
ocean and the sea country is very difficult. But the
satellite tagging can be very give us a really good
idea and make us move forward with the steps of
(07:42):
trying to work out what's going on. Everyone that I
know across Australia and my other colleagues, we are so
in love with all these most amazing marine mammals.
Speaker 2 (07:51):
Ending on a high note here, I suppose doctor Carroll Palmer,
hopefully and at least your answer is different from what
I understand is at least down here in Tasmania we're
seeing Wales that we haven't seen for one hundred and
fifty years when we were slaughtering them. Now they're coming
back in numbers. At least on that level, there's some
(08:11):
positive news.
Speaker 1 (08:12):
Oh look, one hundred percent agree, and we record humpback
whales up here, believe it or not. Bak your birth
just to the west of Darwin Harbor place called Fog Bay.
But we think that our humpback or the humpback whales
here got a lot of work to do on the
wales and the dolphins. But we're very pleased to see
the humpback whales increase and the other species of wales
increase in numbers. It says a lot about Tazzy because
(08:34):
it's beautiful sea country and beautiful country down there. We
want to move forward and look after our ocean and
our marine mammals.
Speaker 2 (08:41):
Doctor Carol Palmer from Charles Darwin University joining us on
iHeart Tazzy. Next up the Robins Island Wind Farm in
Tasmania's northwest, closer to getting the all clear for its construction.
We'll we explore that next.
Speaker 1 (08:57):
Bye hearts Azzi, iHeart.
Speaker 2 (09:01):
As he onto the Robins Island Wind Farm in Tasmania's northwest,
now the one hundred turbine project. It's faced opposition over
many years, one premise being it would pose a hazard
to the critically endangered orange ballied parrot on its migratory path. Well.
The Supreme Court recently dismissed an appeal to its approval
(09:22):
in the state's Planning Appeals Tribunal. Developer Ason's managing director
David Pollington expressing relief, it's.
Speaker 4 (09:30):
Very pleasing to get to this stage. Yes, it has
been a very long time. We've been working on this
project for eight years. I won't take you through the
details of each step because we'll be here a very
long time, but it's a very pleasing result and we
look forward to getting on with the project and progressing
into construction.
Speaker 2 (09:45):
Robin's Island Wind Farm's final hurdle is the approval of
the Federal Environment Minister. State Independent for Bradon Craig Garland
is a staunch opponent. Craig, you're worried about the orange
ballied parent.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
Yes, I am very concerned. Like they dismissed the peel
cat here last year because there was no evidence. They
said that the birds haven't billion, there, haven't soon and
there for years, and then the data come in. The
government didn't look over it properly, and lo and behold,
they've been there on and off, moving in and around
for quite a period of time. The evidence is in
(10:19):
now the orange belly do use that area. They do
fly through there and they do it in numbers. So
it's all back on Tania pluvsect.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
Now.
Speaker 3 (10:26):
They were going to have a five month shut down
because of the orange bellied parrot. They said there was
no evidence to support that it got thrown out and
now the evidence is in. So we'll see where plupsect
goes now, and if she wants to preside over another extinction,
it'll be on her watch. Very interesting to see where
things go from here. And not only the orange bellied parrot,
all Tasmanians Aboriginal community are against anything being done out
(10:48):
there because of its heritage.
Speaker 2 (10:50):
Vause also too. Your barometer, your feel in the community
is that it is largely unwanted or not.
Speaker 3 (10:58):
I'm definitely not wanted. You know. You have David Pollington
from Athens getting around saying that he had overwhelming majority
support for that project. That is a bareface lie. The
Aboriginal communities alone, they should be the ones that he'd
be listening to, but he's conveniently not meeting with them
and listening to them. Because to every man and woman
in the Aboriginal community in the state that has no
(11:20):
social license whatsoever. We've got dodgy middlemen like Ason getting
around peddling bareface lies. And then we've got major parties
acting like nothing more than corporate cheerleaders over and above
community and environment and Aboriginal heritage value. It's just absolutely
golf smacking.
Speaker 2 (11:37):
And generally with these wind farms into states, locals often
have a severe backlash against the esthetic of the wind
farms that they merely look like a blight on the horizon.
Is that a way of summing up the sentiment in
the Northwest?
Speaker 1 (11:54):
My word it is we.
Speaker 3 (11:55):
Are the ones that will be impacted more than anywhere
else in the state. You know, they have to knock
down forest reserves, they have to compulsely acquire farmland. I
was told the other day the single biggest threats to
birds is global warming. So what are we advocating putting
the biggest wind farm in amongst twenty thousand migratrash or birds,
which include the orange belly parrot. The orange belly parrot
(12:16):
is one of the multitude of bird species credically endangered, threatened,
and on the brink. And here we are recognizing the
single biggest threat is global warming, and we want to
just quicken and hasten the demids of those birds by
putting a wind farm in that place, and we don't
need it there. That's the other thing. We have better
suited locations to put these wind farms and cays in
(12:38):
the way of community, environment and critically and dangered species.
But it's a bit like the salmon farmer started out
of boutique industry and now they want to put wind
farms everywhere when we don't have to.
Speaker 2 (12:49):
It's beyond mate, Great Garland State's Independent for Brandon another episode. Therefore,
you here the full program at iHeart tasing iehearts as
he
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