Froggatt Awards

The Froggatt Award is presented to people who have made a major contribution to protecting Australia's native plants and animals, ecosystems, and people from dangerous new invasive species.[1]

The Froggatt Awards are named in honour of Australian entomologist Walter Froggatt, who, when the cane toad was released into Australia in the 1930s to control beetle infestations in the sugar cane industry, was a lone voice, lobbying the federal government to exercise caution.[2][3]

History

The Froggatt Awards were first presented in 2003, by the Invasive Species Council.[4]

From 2003 to 2006 there was only one award per year.

No awards were issued from 2007 to 2014.

From 2015 there have been multiple awards presented, one each for various categories of activity determined each year.

The original trophy was a stuffed cane toad,[3] but is now a framed certificate.

Name

In 2006 the award was temporarily renamed from the Froggatt Award to the Biosecure Australia Award,[5][Note 1] and renamed back to the Froggatt Award in 2015 when the awards recommenced.

The Biosecure Australia Award was to be presented annually in recognition of an outstanding contribution to the eradication, early warning, preventative action, awareness raising or management of an invasive species in Australia.[5]

Coverage

The award received exceptionally extensive coverage within Australia, and also international coverage, when one was awarded to the Australian Federal Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, Barnaby Joyce, in part for the Minister's action in regard to pet dogs incorrectly brought to Australia by Johnny Depp and his partner.[6]

Recipients

2017 Froggatt Award
Category Presented to Citation Ref
Communication Gregory Andrews Australia's first Threatened Species Commissioner, for his enthusiastic and fearless efforts in raising awareness about the impact of feral cats and other invasive species. [2][7]
Control and eradication Sea Spurge Remote Area Teams For 10 years work eradicating sea spurge from Tasmania’s rugged southwest coastline. During this period more than 150 remote area volunteers have removed 14.2 million sea purge plants from 600km of coastline using 6000 hours of labour valued at over $1.4 million. [2][8]
Research Ecology Australia For their generous pro bono support surveying Australia’s only smooth newt infestation. [2]

2015 Froggatt Award
Category Presented to Citation Ref
Principled decision-making Barnaby Joyce For the decision to introduce mandatory biofouling rules to prevent marine pests entering Australia, and for acting quickly and decisively in expelling Johnny Depp and Amber Heard's dogs which had been brought into Australia in an apparent breach of Australia's strict quarantine laws. [1][9][10][11]
Communication Lucy Karger, Lori Lach, Daniel Bateman, Frank Teodo For exceptional efforts to eradicate yellow crazy ants from the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Without these tireless efforts few people would appreciate the danger posed by the highly invasive and environmentally destructive yellow crazy ant. [10][12][13][14]
Control NSW red imported fire ant response For rapid and effective effort in eliminating red imported fire ants from Port Botany in Sydney. [10]
Policy and law Senate Environment and Communications References Committee For their work on the inquiry into environmental biosecurity and the final report, an insightful coverage of a complex issue with cross-party recommendations aimed at improving Australia's preparedness against invasive species impacting the environment. [10]

Froggatt Award
Year Presented to Citation Ref
2003 Barbara Waterhouse, Team Botanist with the Northern Australia Quarantine Strategy For work in directly stopping some of the world's worst weeds from establishing in Australia [4]
2004 The community of Inverloch, in south eastern Victoria, including the many non-residents who lent their support For their inspired efforts to eradicate a Northern Pacific Seastar outbreak that had spread from Port Phillip Bay [15][16]
2005 Samantha Setterfield, Michael Douglas For cutting-edge work with three grass species, including Gamba (Andropogon gayanus). For their research on the severe impacts of tropical grassy weeds in northern Australia, and advocacy for a strong response from government. [3][17][18]

Biosecure Australia Award[Note 1]
Year Presented to Citation Ref
2006 Andrew Hingston, the school of Geography and Environmental Studies at the University of Tasmania in Hobart. For his research on the invasion of the European Bumblebee (Bombus terrestris), its impacts, and also for his advocacy for a strong response from government. [5]

Notes
  1. Not to be confused with Australian Biosecurity Awards

See also

References
  1. "Barnaby Joyce 'humbled' after being honoured over expelling Johnny Depp's dogs Pistol and Boo". ABC News. 18 December 2015. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  2. "Froggatt Awards 2017". Invasive Species Council. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  3. Wright, Lindsay (12 September 2005). "Stuffed cane toad award is important". ABC Rural. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  4. Traill, Barry (1 March 2004). "Winner of the Froggatt Award 2003 - Barbara Waterhouse" (PDF). Feral Herald. Invasive Species Council. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  5. "2006 ISC Award for Bumblebee Campaigner" (PDF). Feral Herald. Invasive Species Council. 1 August 2006. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  6. A small sample of the Barnaby Joyce coverage:
  7. Faulkner, Richard (Autumn 2017). "Froggatt Award goes to the TSC cat campaigner" (PDF). Science for saving species. Threatened Species Recovery Hub. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  8. "Volunteers receive award for work removing invasive species". ABC RN Breakfast. 1 February 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  9. Hunt, Elle (17 December 2015). "Johnny Depp's dogs: Barnaby Joyce wins principled decision-making award". The Guardian. Guardian News and Media. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  10. "Froggatt Awards 2015". Invasive Species Council. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  11. Atfield, Cameron (18 December 2015). "Johnny Depp's dogs: Barnaby Joyce wins gong for tough stance on Pistol and Boo". Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  12. "WET TROPICS YELLOW CRAZY ANT ERADICATION EFFORTS RECOGNISED". Wet Tropics Management Authority. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  13. "Vice Chancellor's Report to Council 26 February 2016" (PDF). James Cook University. 26 February 2016. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  14. "Lori Lach receives award from Invasive Species Council". James Cook University. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  15. "2004 Froggatt Award - Marine pest eradicators receive ISC award" (PDF). Feral Herald. Invasive Species Council. 1 March 2005. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  16. "SEASTAR TEAM 2004 – A Partnership between the Community and Government to Eradicate a Marine Pest" (PDF). Coastline. Department of Sustainability and Environment. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
  17. "CRC weed fighters honoured" (PDF). Savanna Links. Tropical Savannas CRC. July–December 2005. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  18. "Tropical Grassy Weed Fighters win 2005 Froggatt Award" (PDF). Feral Herald. Invasive Species Council. 1 May 2006. Retrieved 9 July 2017.

Further reading
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