managing australia’s pest animal...

B R S S E M I N A R S E R I E S P R E S E N T S :

Friday 21 October

Managing Australia’s pest animal problems

Quentin Hart – BRSDr Steve McLeod - DPI

Dr Chris Hardy - CSIRO

Feral animals are estimated to cost Australia at least $700 million in direct economicimpacts—this does not take into account environmental or social impacts or long-termeffects such as land degradation. Feral animal population control continues to be the mainapproach to reduce pest animal impacts, although it is important to emphasise that it is notthe only approach.

This presentation will discuss the nature of the feral animal problem in Australia andpossible population control solutions in three parts. Quentin Hart (Bureau of RuralSciences) will provide an overview of feral animal impacts and impact reduction options.Dr Steven McLeod (NSW Department of Primary Industries/Invasive Animals CRC) willprovide an introduction to population dynamics and discuss how this dictates which pestmanagement approaches are likely to be the most effective. Dr Chris Hardy(CSIRO/Invasive Animals CRC) will outline progress into current research into a potential'high-tech' approach to pest population management: immunocontraception for mice.

11.00am - 12:00noon (morning tea at 10:45am)Edmund Barton Conference Centre (in the courtyard)

Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and ForestryEdmund Barton BuildingKings Avenue, Canberra

Bookings not required.Parking can be a problem, we suggest taking a taxi.

For further details, please call the BRS Seminar Coordinator on 6272 4011.

For further information on BRS Seminars or to obtain papers/presentations supplied by previous seminarpresenters, please visit our website at: www.brs.gov.au/brsseminars

S C I E N C E F O R D E C I S I O N M A K E R SD E P A R T M E N T O F A G R I C U L T U R E , F I S H E R I E S A N D F O R E S T R Y

Pest Animals in Australia

– the problem and management options

Quentin Hart, BRS

S C I E N C E F O R D E C I S I O N M A K E R S

B u r e a u o fR u r a l S c i e n c e s


The nature of the pest animal problem in Australia• About 80 introduced animal species have established

significant wild populations in Australia

• Pest animals estimated to cost $720Mn pa in directeconomic and (some) environmental costs

• Main species of concern to agriculture include: rabbits,foxes, wild dogs, feral pigs, feral goats and mice- there are also increasing/emerging pest problems, particularly deer (spp) and camels- native species (kangaroos, birds, flying foxes) may also

conflict with primary production


• The main species of concern to the environment include:rabbits, foxes, feral pigs, feral goats, feral cats and canetoads (+ aquatic species)- native species may also pose a problem for the environment where they spread or are introduced outsideof their natural range (e.g. koalas on Kangaroo Island)…and/or where they become ‘over-abundant’ due toimproved food/water supply and reducedcompetition/predation (e.g. kangaroos in some situations)


Types of pest animal impact

• Compete with livestock for pasture and/or cause changes inpasture composition and degrade land/soil (e.g. rabbits, feralgoats, feral pigs)

• Feed on and damage crops (e.g. mice and feral pigs)• Predate on livestock (e.g. foxes, wild dogs and feral pigs)• Damage farm infrastructure (e.g. mice and camels)• Compete with native animals for food, water, shelter and

breeding sites (all pests)• Selective feeding on certain plants and over-

grazing/browsing can lead to long-term changes in plantspecies composition and land degradation (e.g. camels)

• Predate on native animals (e.g. foxes, feral cats)• Control costs, social costs, disease spread etc.


Management options

• Eradication – a common suggestion, but…• No management – a popular option! – usually the default,

although can be a valid option, but need justification• Crisis management – also a popular, but often ineffective

option – wait until there is a major problem, then implementhasty management

• One-off management – e.g. construction of pest exclusionfence

• Sustained management – e.g. reduce population to a low leveland keep them there (may include ‘commercial use’)

• Targeted management – e.g. only prevent pest impact duringcritical periods such as lambing (foxes)


(Lethal) control techniques

• Baiting (mainly 1080)• Shooting – aerial and ground• Trapping – yard, cage, jaw, snare• Warren/den ripping/destruction• Warren/den fumigation• Mustering (commercial use)


Lethal versus non-lethal management• Common perception is: if an introduced species is present, it should be

removed• There is an ‘opportunity cost’ in focussing on perceived rather than actual

pest problems• Even where significant pest impacts are confirmed, there are non-lethal

options that should be considered instead of, or in conjunction with, pestpopulation control:- accepting a certain level of damage and only conducting management above this damage threshold- exclusion fencing- habitat manipulation/decoy feeding- enterprise substitution- repellents- scare devices- fertility control – current techniques (e.g. tubal ligation, implants)

and research (baits? immunocontraception?)


If lethal management is attempted…• It is important to account for the following:

- many species are pests because they have a high reproductive rate – ad hoc control is unlikely to have much effect- what level of population reduction is required to reduce impacts sufficiently?- are there cost-effective, safe, target-specific and (relatively) humane control techniques to achieve and maintain therequired level of population control indefinitely (‘sustained’management) or during the required period (‘targeted’management)?- is there local (and wider) community support to conduct the control program?- is there an ongoing budget to support ongoing ‘maintenance’ control (‘sustained’ management)?- How will pest population reduction and damage reduction bemeasured to assess whether lethal control is cost-effective?


Impediments to effective pest animal management

• Lack of cost-effective, safe, target-specific, (relatively)humane control techniques for some species

• Poor implementation of existing techniques and/or poorcoordination between landholders for managing mobile pestspecies

• Inadequate consideration of the ‘population dynamics’ of thepest species

• Landholders may lack time, money, knowledge, expertise,equipment and/or interest

• Australia is large and sparsely populated• Conflict between ‘commercial use’ vs ‘control’• Native animal management can be problematic


BRS involvement in pest animal management

• Management of the National Feral Animal ControlProgram under the NHT

• Publishing of ‘best practice’ management guidelinesfor major pest species and associated extensionmaterials

• Development of risk assessment models for theimport and keeping of exotic vertebrates – toreduce the risk of new pests becoming establishedin Australia

managing australia’s pest animal...

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