Dehstage2 (.Pdf, 469.06KB)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
REPORT FOR THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT AND HERITAGE A project that investigates current options for managing feral pigs in Australia and assesses the need for the development of more effective and humane techniques and strategies. Stage 2 Report. Review the effectiveness of the options identified in stage one. Identify and prioritise gaps in existing knowledge. Provide recommendations for future research. Published July 2004 Brendan Cowled, and Steven Lapidge 1Pest Animal Control Cooperative Research Centre, GPO Box 284, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia. © Pest Animal Control Cooperative Research Centre (2005). Information contained in this publication may be copied or reproduced for study, research, information or educational purposes, subject to inclusion of an acknowledgment of the source. This report should be cited as: Cowled, B. and Lapidge, S. (2004). A project that investigates current options for managing feral pigs in Australia and assesses the need for the development of more effective and humane techniques and strategies – Stage 2 Report. Pest Animal Control Cooperative Research Centre, Canberra, Australia. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Commonwealth Government or the Minister for the Environment and Heritage. This project (ID number: 44380) was funded by the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Heritage through the national threat abatement component of the Natural Heritage Trust. Stage 2 Draft: DEH Managing feral pigs in Australia review Acknowledgements Thanks are extended to many people around the country who provided some valuable information. Martin Ambrose (QPWS) Josh Bean (NSW NPWS) Andrew Brown (WA CALM) John Clarke (QPWS) Susan Davis (NSW NPWS) Paul de Torres (WA CALM) Val English (WA CALM) Ann Ferguson (NPWS) Christine Freeguard (WA CALM) Matthew Gentle (Qld DNRME) Jordan Hampton (Murdoch University) Harry Hines (QPWS) Andrew Leys (NSW NPWS) Chris Togher (NSW NPWS) Kim Wilson (NSW NPWS) Kev Marshall (WA CALM) Peter Mawson (WA CALM) Keith McDougal (NSW NPWS) Paul Paping (Qld DNRME) Roger Pech (CSIRO) Keith Saalfeld (NTPWS) David Stewart (QPWS) Simon Tozer (ACT PCS) Mark Weaver (QPWS) Ross Wellington (NSW NPWS) Mark Weaver (QPWS) Glen Saunders (NSW Ag) Thanks also to Laurie Twigg (Department of Agriculture Western Australia), John Parkes and Penny Fisher (Landcare Research New Zealand) for editing an earlier draft of the report. Page 1 of 2 Stage 2 Draft: DEH Managing feral pigs in Australia review TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................... 5 1) APPLYING CONTROL METHODS TO FERAL PIG POPULATIONS........ 7 1.1) Applying Feral Pig Control Programs........................................................................7 1.2) Known and Estimated Impacts of Feral pigs on Natural Resources in Australia.......7 1.3) Summary of the Likely Impact of Feral Pigs ...........................................................15 1.4) Estimating Feral Pig Numbers ......................................................................................16 1.4.1) Estimating Feral Pig Abundance............................................................................16 1.4.2) Estimating Feral Pig Activity.................................................................................17 1.5) Determining a Level of Unacceptable Damage by Feral Pigs ......................................18 1.5.1) Damage measured by changes in biodiversity and social cost...............................18 1.5.2) Economic Framework ............................................................................................18 1.6) Controlling Feral Pig Populations to a Level Where Damage is Reduced ...................19 1.7) Where to Apply Feral Pig Control ................................................................................20 1.8) When to Apply Feral Pig Control .................................................................................21 1.10) Eradication of Feral Pigs versus Control of Impacts by Feral Pigs ............................21 2) WHAT ARE EFFECTIVE CONTROL METHODS? ...................................... 23 2.1) Efficacy .........................................................................................................................23 2.2) Control Method Efficiency (cost) .................................................................................24 2.3) Target Specificity ..........................................................................................................25 2.4) Logistical Practicality....................................................................................................26 3) THE EFFECTIVENESS OF GROUND BAITING........................................... 26 3.1) Efficacy of Ground Baiting...........................................................................................26 3.2) Control method efficiency of Ground Baiting ..............................................................26 3.3) Non-Target Impacts of Ground Baiting ........................................................................27 3.4) Logistical Practicality of Ground Baiting .....................................................................27 3.5) Effectiveness of 1080 Ground Baiting..........................................................................27 3.5.1) Efficacy of 1080 ground baiting.............................................................................28 3.5.2) Control method efficiency of 1080 ground baiting................................................28 3.5.3) Logistical practicality of 1080 ground baiting .......................................................28 3.6) Effectiveness of Warfarin Ground Baiting....................................................................29 3.6.1) Efficacy of Warfarin Ground Baiting.....................................................................29 3.6.2) Control method efficiency of Warfarin Ground baiting.........................................29 3.6.3) Target specificity of Warfarin................................................................................30 3.6.4) Logistical practicality of Warfarin ground baiting.................................................30 3.7) Effectiveness of Yellow Phosphorus Ground Baiting ..................................................30 3.7.1) Efficacy of Yellow Phosphorus .............................................................................30 3.7.2) Control method efficiency of Yellow Phosphorus.................................................31 3.7.3) Target specificity of Yellow Phosphorus...............................................................31 3.7.4) Logistical practicality of Yellow Phosphorus ground baiting................................31 3.8) Effectiveness of Other Toxins.......................................................................................31 3.8.1) The Effectiveness of Cyanide ................................................................................31 3.8.2) Efficacy of Cyanide Ground Baiting......................................................................31 3.8.3) Control method efficiency of Cyanide Ground Baiting.........................................32 3.8.4) Target specificity of Cyanide Ground Baiting .......................................................32 3.8.5) Logistical practicalities of Cyanide Ground Baiting..............................................32 3.8.6) Effectiveness of Other Toxins................................................................................32 4) THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AERIAL BAITING ............................................. 32 4.1) Efficacy of Aerial Baiting .........................................................................................32 4.2) Control method efficiency of Aerial Baiting.............................................................33 4.3) Target specificity of Aerial Baiting...........................................................................34 Page 2 of 3 Stage 2 Draft: DEH Managing feral pigs in Australia review 4.4) Logistical practicalities of Aerial Baiting .................................................................34 5) THE EFFECTIVENESS OF FENCING ............................................................ 35 5.1) Efficacy of Fencing ...................................................................................................35 5.2) Control method efficiency of Fencing ......................................................................35 5.3) Target specificity of Fencing.....................................................................................35 5.4) Logistical practicalities of Fencing ...........................................................................36 6) THE EFFECTIVENESS OF TRAPPING .......................................................... 36 6.1) Efficacy of Trapping .................................................................................................36 6.2) Control method efficiency of Trapping.....................................................................38 6.3) Target Specificity of Trapping ..................................................................................39 6.4) Logistical Practicalities of Trapping .........................................................................39 7) THE EFFECTIVENESS OF AERIAL SHOOTING........................................