12.D.8 Public attitudes to current and proposed forms of pest animal control

This project identifies and reviews Australasian and international research on public attitudes towards current and proposed forms of control for invasive animals. The review is primarily intended as an information resource for those involved in researching and managing the impacts of animal pests in Australia and New Zealand. The final report has been published and is available for download at the link below left.

Animals covered in the review include: foxes, wild dogs and dingoes, rabbits, horses, pigs, cats, deer, goats, water buffalo, kangaroos, wallabies, possums, stoats and flying foxes. Coyotes, wolves and elk are also briefly discussed.

The research covered in the review shows that attitudes towards pest animal controls vary according to the:

* characteristics of the person or group — their gender, urban or rural residence, culture and value orientation
* perceptions of the pest animal and its impacts — its size, predation on livestock or other valued species, physical threat to people, impact on people’s livelihood and aesthetic appeal
* environment being impacted — its proximity, accessibility, aesthetic and utilitarian appeal, public or private ownership
* features of the control strategy — safety, specificity, effectiveness, humaneness and cost.

The review suggests that discourses around current or proposed pest animal controls should recognise social and physical context. Decisions about pest controls need to be made on a case-by-case basis and be informed by systematic assessments. It is recommended that public and stakeholder involvement in pest control decision making be accompanied by well-designed, balanced information.