Humane World for Animals Australia Limited

HSI continued its work to build an ecologically sustainable world for all animals by being leaders in saving endangered species and their habitats; aiding animals in crisis; and reducing cruelty in farming, trade and other industries. This year our advocacy efforts helped persuade the Victorian government to abolish its antiquated bounty program and stop the killing of dingoes in the NorthWest of the state to protect an especially threatened dingo population. We continue to work to demonstrate the benefits of Predator Smart Farming, especially the use of guardian animals to protect cattle and sheep, to show landholders and governments that there is a viable alternative to killing dingoes. Working with the University of Queensland, HSI Australia s scientific nominations have secured increased legal protections for four gecko species: McIlwraith leaftailed gecko, Arcadia velvet gecko, Cape Melville leaftailed gecko, and Pinnacles leaftailed gecko. This means hefty penalties can be given out for anyone caught poaching or trafficking the animals. This year we welcomed 53 new members and 1,587 hectares to our Wildlife Land Trust. Our network of private sanctuaries provides a refuge for wildlife across vast ecosystems such as woodlands, rainforests, grasslands, heathland and alpine regions. The Wildlife Land Trust now spans 927 wildlifefriendly sanctuaries across over 86,700 hectares. We continue to make progress on ridding beaches in NSW and Queensland of shark nets with the NSW Government reducing the netting season by one month to reduce the impact on the nesting season of turtles. This year we tabled a paper at the global Agreement for the Conservation of Albatross and Petrel asking governments to urgently establish a global working group to ensure offshore wind infrastructure avoids collisions with our imperilled seabirds. We joined with our Shark Champion partners at the Australian Marine Conservation Society to nominate the Maugean skate for increased protection as a Critically Endangered species. Macquarie Harbour is the last bastion for the remaining 40 120 individuals of this ancient lineage of ray, however, they compete for oxygen with industrial scale salmon farming operations in this harbour. We have also asked the federal Environment Minister to reconsider the approvals for salmon farming in the skate s last remaining critical habitat. Legislation to phase out live sheep exports by sea passed the Australian Senate on 1 July 2024. The extent of the suffering in the live sheep export trade is inexcusable and we have campaigned for it to end for decades. This is an incredible victory for millions of sheep who will no longer suffer and die in extreme temperatures. A generous phase out package was also announced to assist farmers transition out of the industry. In 2024 we provided a further19 wildlife disaster grants. For further information go to our website to read our FY24 annual report.