THE Coorong has been degraded to such a point it risks losing key elements that make it a wetland of international importance, according to a report released on Friday.

The Goyder Institute report into the Coorong’s health found it to be in a “vulnerable state”, affecting the abundance of waterbirds such as fairy terns and migratory shorebirds.

The report attributed water extractions and significant damage during the Millennium drought towards the wetland’s long-term decline, particularly in the southern lagoon.

The prevalence of filamentous algae was preventing aquatic plants from reproducing and was interfering with birds feeding on plants and invertebrates in the mudflats.

The report made several short to long-term recommendations to rehabilitate the wetland, including increasing waterbird populations by creating nurseries of aquatic plants and trialling the effectiveness of mechanical removal of the algae. It was one of two reports commissioned by the State Government after it staged a Coorong summit in June with scientific experts, government officials and indigenous leaders.

Environment and Water Minister David Speirs said the reports provided a working vision to restore the Coorong and a strong basis to secure federal funding.

“During the Millennium drought, the Coorong was at the brink of collapse, but thanks to measures under the Murray-Darling Basin Plan, the environment is slowly recovering,” he said. “Yet the ecology of the south lagoon of the Coorong has remained in a degraded state, despite the delivery of water for the environment in recent years.

“I’ve met with Minister (David) Littleproud and I am confident that through strong and mature collaboration between our governments we can work together to deliver on-ground actions to help restore the Coorong environment for future generations.”

The Coorong was listed as a Ramsar wetland of international importance in 1985, which requires the federal and state governments to maintain its ecological character.