何者かがユーカリの森伐採、コアラ数十匹を安楽死　豪州

【シドニーＡＦＰ＝時事】オーストラリア・ビクトリア州ポートランド近郊のユーカリの森が何者かによって伐採され、この影響でコアラ数十匹が安楽死させられたほか、80匹あまりが飢えやけがの治療のため移送された。州当局は3日、この一件を「極めて悲惨な事態」と表現し、調査の開始を明らかにするとともに、伐採が意図的なものであれば責任者を追及する姿勢を示した。（写真は資料写真）
　国際環境ＮＧＯ「地球の友」は、伐採が昨年１２月に行われ、コアラ数百匹が死ぬか負傷したと指摘。また、地元住民がコアラの死骸が重機で積まれているのを最近目撃し、伐採の規模が明らかになったとしている。
　オーストラリア林産品連合会によると、昨年１１月に請負業者が自然保護に関する厳しい規則にのっとった伐採作業を行ったが、業者が立ち去った後、何者かがコアラがまだいたとみられる残りの木を重機で伐採したという。
　同連合会のロス・ハンプトン会長は地元紙に対し、「誰が森を伐採したかについては不明だが、植林業者や林業関連の業者でないことは絶対に確実だ」と述べている。
　豪州の自然保護に関する法律に反する伐採によって責任を問われた場合、違反者は多額の罰金が科される可能性もある。
　現在コアラは国際自然保護連合の「危急種」に指定されているが、昨年から続く大規模な森林火災により豪州南東部では広範囲のコアラの生息地が焼失し、数千匹が死んだ。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/02/04-12:55）

Dozens of koalas have been euthanized and some 80 more are being treated for injuries and starvation after their habitat was logged, prompting an Australian government investigation Monday.
Victoria's environment department said the state's conservation regulator was investigating a very distressing incident at a bluegum plantation near the coastal town of Portland that resulted in the deaths of dozens of koalas.
If this is found to be due to deliberate human action, we expect the conservation regulator to act swiftly against those responsible, the department said.
Those responsible could face steep fines under laws designed to protect Australia's native wildlife.
The environment department said approximately 80 koalas had been removed from the plantation site over the weekend for medical treatment, while others had to be put down.
Wildlife welfare assessment and triage will continue with qualified carers and vets, the department said in a statement.
Plans are being made to translocate remaining animals offsite if they are well enough to be moved.
Friends of the Earth said the plantation was logged in December in what it called a massacre that left hundreds of koalas dead or injured.
The conservation group said the scale of the incident was uncovered when local residents witnessed dead koalas being bulldozed into piles in recent days.
The deaths come after devastating bushfires destroyed large swathes of koala habitat across Australia's southeast and killed thousands of the animals, which are listed as vulnerable to extinction.
The Australian Forest Products Association said a forestry contractor harvested the land in November in accordance with strict wildlife protection rules before the remaining trees were later bulldozed after the contractor left.
It is unclear as yet who bulldozed the trees with the koalas apparently still in them, but it is absolutely certain that this was not a plantation or a forestry company, chief executive Ross Hampton told Nine newspapers.
We support all those calling for the full force of the law to be applied to the perpetrator.
The forestry industry lobby group has pledged to hold its own investigation into the incident.