Irwin's Death Sparks Conservation Blog Debate

The blogosphere resounded to the news that the Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin had died. Even now a day later he is the first and second most popular search term on Technorati a sign of how important a figure he had become. There are hundreds of on-line eulogies being written - including this from Inky Circus. But beyond the many, many obits it was interesting how his death had revived debate in parts of the blogosphere about the best way to preserve the animals he loved, issues at the heart of many current controversies about looking after endangered species and habitats from whaling to the trade in ivory. Guest blogger, Australian writer and Director of the Australian Environment Foundation Jennifer Marohasy outlines the territory for us in this personal view:

"We are all mourning the death of the Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin. He died yesterday while filming: struck in the chest by a sting-ray. Irwin was often criticized for getting too close to animals. But as I explain in ‘Steve Irwin’s Legacy to Conservation’ it was this up-close and personal approach that got us more interested than ever in saving the world’s endangered animals .

Steve Irwin had strong opinions on conservation which often put him at odds with the experts. He was vehemently opposed to any trade in products from wild animals. He only believed in shooting crocodiles with cameras. But pictures can not save species from extinction and many believe sustainable harvest – by legalising and regulating trade in accordance with strict quota systems – is the key to wildlife conservation. Irwin’s death re-opened the debate about how to best protect the world’s endangered animals.

These are, as you can imagine, controversial issues. You can join the debate at Jennifer's blog As ever with guest writers a note that these are personal views of the author, not those of the BBC..

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