PASTORAL LANDS —
FERAL ANIMAL CULLING MANAGEMENT
935. Hon JACQUI BOYDELL to the Minister for Agriculture and Food:
I refer to culling management
programs for feral animals on pastoral lands, which includes poisoning,
shooting on the ground and shooting from helicopters.
(1) How many times a year do these
programs take place?
(2) What process currently exists
for the collection of carcasses?
(3) Does the minister acknowledge
that uncollected carcasses provide a feeding source for wild dogs?
(4) If no
guidelines or policies exist on the collection of carcasses, will the minister
consider developing one?
Hon ALANNAH MacTIERNAN
replied:
I thank the member for the question.
(1) This financial
year, 14 aerial feral animal control programs are scheduled across the
Kimberley, Pilbara and goldfields areas. Most areas where control is undertaken
are subject to one or two control programs a
year. These programs are undertaken by the Department of Primary Industries and
Regional Development on behalf of the relevant recognised biosecurity
groups.
(2) Collection is
not practical given the vast areas covered by the programs, the size of the
carcasses, and the potential cost of undertaking the program. Additionally, the
recognised biosecurity groups undertake wild dog control in the broad areas
where other vertebrate pests are controlled.
(3) Wild dogs can
use vertebrate pest carcasses as a food source; however, limited research
indicates that the consumption of vertebrate pest carcasses by wild dogs is
lower than expected. This is due to the unpredictable distribution of carcasses
in space and time, and the rapid removal of edible biomass in warm conditions.
(4) All shooting
control programs are done under strict guidelines and approval processes.
Collection of carcasses is not required under these guidelines, as this is
impractical and prohibitively expensive in remote areas.