In Victoria, a parliamentary enquiry has been set up to look at controlling invasive species on crown land. EEG is concerned there is too much focus on shooters and National Parks. Allowing shooting organisations to kill deer or foxes in the Alps or parks will hardly put a dint in their numbers (but will gain a few votes).
What’s needed is serious political will to fund research to progress alternative methods of humane culling of ALL ferals including cats.
Decline and extinction of Australian mammals since European settlement
The island continent of Australia harbors much of the world’s most distinctive biodiversity, but this review describes an extent of recent and ongoing loss of its mammal fauna that is exceptionally high and appreciably greater than previously recognized.
Last week… Jaala Pulford threw more of our money at destroying Victoria’s biodiversity…at the same time as Lisa Neville is drafting a strategy to protect it.
$6.2M for yet more pointless and indiscriminate aerial baiting of wildlife
For those keen fauna surveyors or even just budding naturalists, this link is excellent for trying to work out what critter you’ve seen, especially if caught on a movement sensing spy camera.
Deadly 1080 poison was broadcast across forested land in Gippsland and NE Victoria during May in an attempt to placate certain sheep farmers. How's this for contradictory spin. "The sites were chosen for their inaccessibility and remoteness, proximity to private land ... and the absence of spot tailed quolls". Close to farms but inaccessible? Absence of quolls they claim, because they had apparently put cameras out to check. Not too remote to set up infrared cameras but too remote to use the technique of hand burying poison baits.
Regardless of the threat aerial baiting poses to the endangered Spot-tailed Quoll, poisoning wild dogs is still a very questionable solution to sheep losses.
Set out below are arguments against the aerial baiting of dogs, and why it may be that current control programs cause dog numbers to increase.
Australia’s once common digging mammals that played an important role in ecosystem function, have been largely lost from our landscape. Around half of digging mammal species are now extinct or under conservation threat, and those that still exist have very contracted ranges.
After a lengthy process, the Sambar Deer has formally been listed as a threat to biodiversity in Victoria, and will be listed under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act.
Two hundred years ago the Sooty owl was abundant and fed on about 18 species of ground prey in Gippsland. Today they have only two or three to chose from. Other species are under similar pressure.
In Victoria, a parliamentary enquiry has been set up to look at controlling invasive species on crown land. EEG is concerned there is too much focus on shooters and National Parks. Allowing shooting organisations to kill deer or foxes in the Alps or parks will hardly put a dint in their numbers (but will gain a few votes).
