The Vertebrate Pest Committee, in line with the national strategy for the management of vertebrate pest animals in Australia (the Australian Pest Animal Strategy) and in consultation with stakeholders, has developed a series of draft codes of practice and standard operating procedures to assist industry, land owners to undertake pest management practices effectively and humanely. 

To ensure nationally consistent pest animal approaches, the draft codes of practice are to be adopted nationally. Queensland will be implementing them once they have been accepted and endorsed by the Primary Industries Ministerial Committee. This is anticipated to occur in November 2010.

Model codes of practice for humane control have been developed for pigs, rabbits, foxes and wild dogs. Methods no longer acceptable will include serrated steel jaw traps, warfarin and yellow phosphorus baiting for pigs, chloropicrin fumigation for rabbits and strychnine baits for wild dogs and foxes. Strychnine will still be approved for kill traps. In all cases there are more humane alternatives available.

In addition a number of practices remain acceptable but their use is subject to conditions.

Wildlife Queensland strongly supports these initiatives and advocates the sooner the better. It is anticipated that because of a range of issues that it may be 2013 before a complete phase out of such unacceptable uses can be achieved. What was even more pleasing was to be informed of ongoing research for yet more effective and more humane control measures.   

It is well established that invasive plants and feral animals comes second only to habitat loss for the threat to our biodiversity. The Queensland Government is focussing on reducing this threat to our biodiversity and although Wildlife Queensland desires much more rapid progress credit must be given when credit is due. Feral animal control on national parks is increasing with horses, pigs and goats target species. Wild dog control inside and outside the barrier fence is on the increase. Strategies are being developed for feral deer control.

On the other hand the Commonwealth Government is reducing its quarantine inspections saving a few dollars but what is the cost if another pest arrives uninvited such as the fire ants. Millions of dollars have been expended to date on fire ant control but new outbreaks are still being reported. The 2008 Beale report into quarantine recommended a 50% increase in the budget. It would appear the Commonwealth Government has not listened.

Yet again Governments are pulling against each other rather working together for a better environment.

For more information on Wildlife Queensland's activities, call us on +61 7 3221 0194 or send us an email.