Migratory birds are the “canary in the mine” for the Australia’s coastal zones, Eric Woehler from Birds Australia has told the House of Representatives Climate Change, the Environment and Arts Committee.

“I’ve been involved in coastal research and coastal management in Tasmania now for 30 years, working both on shore birds and sea birds and in the 30 years that I’ve been involved in I’ve seen at a state level average a loss of 50 per cent of the numbers of birds and the mix of birds,” he said.