Should there be efforts to establish two Australasian conservation biology societies?

Abstract

In a recent editorial, H. Recher presents some history on why there is not currently an Australasian conservation biology society. He asserts that a motion to create such a society was abandoned because the Ecological Society of Australia (ESA) and the Australian Institute of Biology (AlB) promised to assume greater roles in conservation biology and obviated the need for a separate society, but that these organizations have not fulfilled this promise. The Society for Conservation Biology (SCB) has initiated a drive to develop a regional Australasian chapter and Recher raises the question: "is it better to form an independent body, or will an Australasian branch of the SCB fill the advocacy void left empty in 1993?" This is a fair question.