PHOTO: PHIL GEE PHOTO: The role of commercial use in integrated feral camel management OCTOBER 2013 Commercial use of feral camels includes mustering for domestic meat processing and ground culling for petmeat. The Australian Feral Camel Management Project (AFCMP) recognised the potential of both forms of removal to contribute to feral camel management and provided a range of support for these activities. Beyond the AFCMP, there are a number of challenges facing ongoing commercial use that are discussed in this paper. www.feralcamels.com.au www.feralscan.org.au/camelscan PAGE 2 Working in sensitive market, the distance An integrated of these abattoirs from the feral approach to partnership camel population significantly managing feral The AFCMP used a national influences the numbers available camels approach, bringing together for commercial use. relevant state and territory An Australian camel meat industry An integrated approach to feral governments (WA, NT, SA and cannot be totally reliant on camel management was adopted Qld), Traditional Owners across ongoing harvest of feral camels by the AFCMP as no single the four jurisdictions (land trusts, to be sustainable. A long-term management method is likely corporations and land councils), sustainable camel industry must be to reduce feral camel density Natural Resource Management based on farmed camels (camels to a level where their impact is boards, conservation groups, behind wire), although it may acceptable to all stakeholders. the pastoral industry and the continue to make a contribution to When a single feral animal commercial camel industry. With feral camel management. management technique is used their extreme mobility, feral camels in isolation, it is generally less The Australian Camel Industry require a cross-jurisdictional as effective than when two or more Association (ACIA) recognises well as cross-tenure management techniques are combined into an that while Australia’s feral camel approach. integrated management program. population poses a threat to Culling (aerially and from the agriculture, natural ecosystems ground), muster for commercial The Australian and biodiversity, it also present sale, water access management camel industry opportunities. The Association and exclusion fencing are the main supports a humane, long-term methods available for feral camel Around the world, there is solution to this problem that management. significant demand from includes utilising and developing consumers for protein, including the commercial value of the animal Zeng and Gerritsen 20121 from camel meat, particularly in the in an increasingly regulated and Charles Darwin University, in their Middle East and Africa. However, responsible industry environment. research on the contribution sales opportunities can be This will assist feral camel of commercial harvest to the significantly restricted by what key management through increased management of feral camels markets are prepared to pay for commercial pressures on the feral in Australia, concluded that this meat. This in turn determines herd but it is also recognised that harvesting may reduce feral camel the extent to which commercial an increasing incentive to retain numbers in areas of localised high removal can be utilised in an higher densities in the feral herd densities, but on a landscape scale integrated management plan. could counter this benefit. it couldn’t adequately reduce feral camel impacts on its own. Currently there are two abattoirs in ACIA Chair, Lauren Brisbane, Australia (Caboolture, Queensland believes that while feral camel and Peterborough, South Australia) numbers are not excessive that are supplying camel meat to in Queensland, they can be overseas markets. Their maximum domesticated and classified as processing capacity is estimated stock within existing regulations to be around 50,000 camels which provides an added incentive per annum. Current processing to landholders to utilise them. throughput is increasing but is well 1 Benxiang Zeng and Rolf Gerritsen, Journal below this estimated maximum, of Environmental Planning and Management (2012, 1–13) Inadequate contribution of with less than 15,000 camels commercial harvest to the management of feral camels in Australia. Charles Darwin processed in 2012/13. In a price- University, Australia. PAGE 3 Lauren estimates that there are opportunities for remote Australia and auditing of operations, the at least 10,000 domestic camels were the key objectives of the environment sector is also able behind wire in Queensland, owned AFCMP removal assistance scheme to effectively discourage the by landholders who recognise for feral camel management. development of perverse outcomes a potential future opportunity such as the release of undersized This scheme helped build the for economic diversification on calves or cow camels back out into capacity of the commercial their grazing properties. These the wild. use industry with ongoing landholders are sometimes only environmental and social benefits. interested in the potential woody weed control benefits of camels, The removal assistance scheme is Working on but this form of farming should outcome focussed, allowing the Aboriginal help increase supply to abattoirs landholder to enter into agreement Lands over time. with the AFCMP to qualify for financial support once female feral One of the keys to success in camels are removed, provided managing a mobile feral animal A national compliance with the mustering is establishing and maintaining removal Standard Operating Procedure and successful partnerships across land assistance other conditions is demonstrated. tenures. This applies particularly In doing so, the AFCMP has in Central Australian Aboriginal scheme assisted landholders to reduce communities, including Central Engaging with industry to achieve their feral camel populations and Land Council (CLC), Anangu the complementary outcomes of contributed to the development Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara feral herd reduction, improved of a supply chain through to the (APY) and Ngaanyatjarra Council natural resource condition processing abattoirs. By linking the (Aboriginal Corporation) lands. and economic participation scheme to training of personnel ecomb k S IC PHOTO: N PHOTO: Training has been a priority under the AFCMP to improve the efficiency and animal welfare of mustering operations. PAGE 4 The Ngaanyatjarra Council has The CLC has experienced a range for example, you might have been successful in developing of issues related to the commercial to wait weeks for the trucks their commercial operations. Alex use of feral camels and these that can only carry up to 55 knight from the Ngaanyatjarra may be applicable across other big camels at a time. Mustering Camel Company says they have Aboriginal lands: activity therefore needs to be removed up to 1,000 camels a well timed or have a lot of feed • The infrastructure requirements month (from both Ngaanyatjarra available at the loading facility. for commercial use (e.g. roads, and APY Lands) and are holding, drafting and trucking • Mustering can cost a lot, exporting camel meat overseas facilities) are substantial, including for the helicopter, and that this is profitable, even particularly over the large vehicles, camel feed and when the Australian dollar is undeveloped areas typical of wages.2 high. He attributes much of this Aboriginal lands. achievement to highly motivated Alex knight agrees and says that staff with practical experience who • Non-commercial camels cannot by far the biggest expense for are not afraid to use their initiative. be released and their humane Ngaanyatjarra is the transport destruction and subsequent costs and the turn-around time for Traditional owners within CLC carcass management can trucks, including the added cost of lands have been supportive of all create problems (abattoirs returning without a load. “Having forms of feral camel management. have minimum weights and a meat works nearer to the lands There have been local employment specifications, so are not keen would be a great improvement,” benefits through monitoring to take small camels). said Alex. “It is not feasible to have feral camels and their impacts, an on-site abattoir as labour is not ground culling, ground support • As the commercial removal of easy to source but one in Alice for aerial culling and mustering. feral camels is still a developing Springs may be a good option”. The CLC has received a number business, trucking logistics of proposals and had agreements can be extremely complex if for feral camel harvesting from not managed well. This may require substantial wait-periods potential commercial operations. 2 smokin’ camel Number 2. May 2012, and subsequent stock feeding Newsletter for traditional owners about Unfortunately, the remote location camel management on Central Land Council Aboriginal Lands, Northern Territory and lack of essential infrastructure and animal care obligations; to support large-scale commercial operations have limited progress in this regard. EE G HIL PHOTOS: P PHOTOS: Mustering operations require adequate infrastructure and access to food and water for holding yards. PAGE 5 A pastoralist’s Lyndee recalls the cull they did on to send camels from the Northern Curtin Springs in January 2013. “In Territory to the Caboolture view October 2012 we had big fires and abattoir in Queensland to be Individual pastoralists are involved then not a lot of summer rain. By processed at less than 360kg or in the muster and sale of camels