Dear ,
Welcome to issue 180 of Feral Flyer.
In this edition: |
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Queensland Floods
We have all been shocked to see the devastation caused by the floods in Queensland and northern NSW. Thankfully, our colleagues at the Robert Wicks Pest Animal Research Centre in Toowoomba are all OK, though some have had property and/or vehicle damage.
Our thoughts and best wishes are with all our colleagues, researchers and Feral Flyer readers who may be affected by the flooding at this time.
ABC Feral Month mapping project & FeralScan
ABC Local Radio is running Feral month throughout January. They are asking people across Australia to report sightings of a range of feral animal species during the month of January. Results can then be viewed on an interactive map on their website.
Sightings can be submitted via SMS, email, Twitter or online and photos of your feral can also be uploaded with your sighting report.
The ABC will make data collected available to the IA CRC to feed into our upcoming FeralScan project to be launched at the end of January.
FeralScan will follow on where the ABC’s Feral Month leaves off and provide a free national web-based feral animal mapping and reporting tool that will have direct benefits to farmers, community groups and individuals managing pests and their impacts.
Watch this space for more information.
More information:
- ABC Feral Month: http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2011/01/04/3093947.htm
- FeralScan: http://www.feral.org.au/feralscan/
IA CRC Workshop: Rabbit control in 2020
The Invasive Animals CRC is holding a workshop to assess current rabbit problems in Australia and determine directions for research and practical management of rabbits in the field over the next decade.
Delegates from most Australian States and Territories will be attending to discuss current research and control programs and how research and training might be improved to deal with rabbits that are increasingly affecting grazing industries, conservation and public amenities.
Dates: Thursday 27th January and Friday 28th January, 2011.
Venue: Belconnen Premier Inn, Canberra
Please contact Dr. Brian Cooke (email: brian.cooke@canberra.edu.au) for more information or if you feel you could contribute.
Workshop proceedings report- Rabbit eradications on islands 
The IA CRC hosted an international workshop in Christchurch in February 2010 to share and progress knowledge and experience of rabbit eradications, particularly on islands.
The workshop proceedings report has just been published and summarises the invited papers, main discussions and recommendations. It also includes a stand-alone appendix on ‘Current agreed best practice on rabbit eradication on islands’. The report is available at http://www.feral.org.au/improving-efficiency-of-rabbit-eradications-on-islands/ and hard copies can be requested from our HQ office (please email Kate.Lawrence@invasiveanimals.com).
NSW Carp Control Plan
Industry and Investment NSW (I&I NSW) has finalised the NSW Control Plan for the Noxious Fish Carp (Cyprinus carpio).
Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) are currently listed as a Class 3 noxious fish in NSW. This listing does not prohibit the possession or sale of carp (including koi carp), but is a recognition of the fact that wild carp are a significant and widespread pest in NSW.
The Control Plan recognises the scale of the carp problem in NSW and some of the limitations to effective control, including limited resources and a lack of effective large-scale control techniques. At the same time, it recognises that carp control can be highly effective when it is well planned, targeted and coordinated. The Control Plan is intended to provide a framework for carp management in NSW by outlining existing actions and identifying priority areas for future action (subject to resources being identified).
Copies of the NSW Control Plan for the Noxious Fish Carp can be downloaded from:
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/fisheries/pests-diseases/freshwater-pests/species/carp.
To request a printed copy please email the Aquatic Biosecurity Unit at aquatic.pests@industry.nsw.gov.au or call (02) 4982 1232.
ARC and NHMRC funding rounds
The Australian Research Council has released the Discovery Projects Funding Rules for funding commencing in 2012. To view these, please navigate to the following site: http://www.arc.gov.au/ncgp/dp/dp_fundingrules.htm.
Funding Rules for Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards are expected to be released in February.
New Publications
Books
Singleton, GR., Belmain, SR., Brown, PR., and Hardy, B., editors. (2010) Rodent Outbreaks: ecology and impacts. Los Banos, Phillipines. International Rice Research Institute.
Media round-up
After the deluge, the plagues
WILD pigs, rabbits, foxes and mice are set to reach plague proportions in the wake of the floods, adding to the damage inflicted on farms. [ More ]
Wildlife Services explores safe way to poison feral hogs
SAN ANTONIO — With more than 2 million feral hogs in the state, Texas Wildlife Services is exploring a new option to control the hog population: poison them. [ More ]
Hunt on for rabbit ‘killer’
AUSTRALIAN farmers are searching for a more lethal version of the rabbit calicivirus. [ More ]
Pest animals are more than a nuisance
What animals are pests in WA and what is being done to control them. [ More ]
IA CRC in the news
A selection of current media articles directly related to the IA CRC is available here. You can subscribe to receive updates directly to your email inbox or mobile phone, or save as a favourite page in your web browser and view at your convenience. This feed can also be provided to third parties without the risk of copyright breach.
Upcoming conferences
For more information on these and other events, please see details on our website.
2011
- 2nd International Invasive Birds Conference. Cape Town, South Africa, 7-9 March.
- 14th Wildlife Damage Management Conference. Nebraska City, USA, 17-22 April.
- International Urban Wildlife Management and Planning Conference, Austin, Texas, USA. 22-25 May.
- 15th Australasian Vertebrate Pest Conference. Sydney, Australia, 20-23 June.
- 4th Biennial Australian Animal Studies Group Conference. Brisbane, QLD. 10-13 July.
- 8th European Vertebrate Pest Management Conference. Berlin, Germany 26-30 September.
- Biolief: Biological Invasions and Ecosystem Functioning. Mar del Plata, Argentina, 21-24 November.
- International Congress for Conservation Biology. Christchurch, New Zealand 29 November-2 December.
