The IA CRC will close from 23 December 2011 and re-open 3 January 2012

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to all our readers.

Welcome to issue 203 of Feral Flyer.

Federal Cabinet Reshuffle: new Federal innovation Minister and new agriculture Parliamentary Secretary

The Honourable Greg Combet MP has been appointed Minister for Industry and Innovation.  Senator the Honourable Chris Evans has been appointed Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research.

Senator the Honourable Kim Carr has been appointed Minister for Manufacturing and Minister for Defence Materiel.

Also of interest, Sid Sidebottom MP has been appointed Parliamentary Secretary for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

The Invasive Animals CRC has written to the new Ministers.  The Invasive Animals CRC thanks Minister Carr for his service as the previous Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research with responsibilities for CRCs.

2011 Commonwealth State of the Environment Assessment released: invasive species identified as major threat

The fourth national assessment of the state of Australia’s environment has been launched by the Minister for Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities, the Hon Tony Burke MP.  For the first time in national environmental reporting, Australia State of the Environment 2011 goes beyond a descriptive summary of evidence to include graded ‘report-card’ style assessments of environment condition and trends, pressures and management effectiveness.

Written by an independent committee of experts, the report covers nine aspects of the Australian environment – atmosphere, inland water, land, marine environment, Antarctic environment, biodiversity, heritage, built environment and coasts.

Excerpts below
More information at: http://www.environment.gov.au/soe/2011/report/index.html
From headline summary: Australia’s land environment is threatened by widespread pressures.
Invasive species, inappropriate fire patterns and grazing are having a significant impact on much of our land environment. Grazing is Australia’s most widespread land use and its environmental impact appears to be mixed, with impacts diminished in some regions but increased in others since widespread monitoring began in 1992. The areas managed for conservation and by Indigenous Australians have expanded (each now more than 20% of Australia’s land area). Land clearing is slowing, but still averaged around 1 million hectares per year during 2000-10. The legacy impacts of land clearing are substantial, with loss and fragmentation of native vegetation. The extent of land clearing is now balanced by that of regrowth, although the character of regrowth is different from that of the original vegetation.

Inland Water

At least 80 introduced animal species have established populations on the Australian continent. Assessing invasive animals in 2008⁵³ stated that invasive animal species are one of the top three greatest threats to threatened species and ecosystems—mainly by competing for, or destroying, habitat and food resources—and that they continue to colonise new areas. Some of these species were initially established in past centuries and continue to expand their ranges (e.g. the cane toad spreading into Western Australia in February 2009; Figure 4.18), but new threats have also emerged, such as red-eared slider turtles and tilapia. Carp were found to occur in 11.5% of Australian rivers. In addition to carp and cane toads, feral pigs were identified as nationally significant invasive animals by the Australian Vertebrate Pests Committee, due to their impact on inland river systems (especially wetlands).

Southern Australia and New Zealand, considered together, represent one of six major invasion ‘hot spots’, where non-native freshwater fish species represent more than one-quarter of the total number of fish species in river systems, and where the proportion of native fish species that have a high risk of extinction in the wild is the highest.⁵⁴ In New South Wales, three alien species—common carp, gambusia and goldfish—are present in all inland rivers. Redfin perch, brown trout and rainbow trout are also widespread. Carp are overwhelmingly dominant (Figure 4.19), making up 87% of alien fish biomass and 58% of total fish biomass. Carp and gambusia were the dominant species in all lowland rivers in the Murray–Darling Basin.

http://www.environment.gov.au/soe/2011/report/inland-water/3-4-pests-and-invasive-species.html#s3-4

Land
Some 73 invasive pest animal species (amphibians, birds, fish, mammals and reptiles) have established populations in Australia. In many cases—such as feral cats, foxes, rabbits and wild dogs—these populations are long established and distributed over much of the continent. In other cases, such as foxes in Tasmania, introductions are recent, and populations are still small. The highest concentration of significant pest animal species is along the eastern seaboard, and many coastal and offshore islands suffer significant impacts.⁷³

Pest animals with the greatest impacts on the land environment, in terms of damage estimates, are foxes, feral cats, rabbits, feral pigs, wild dogs, house mice, goats, cane toads, wild horses and camels.⁷⁵ Their impacts are expressed as environmental damage, such as that caused to soil and vegetation by pigs or camels; as loss of production in agricultural systems; and as loss of biodiversity. Land degradation by goats, pigs and rabbits, and the impacts of cane toads, are formally listed as threatening processes under the EPBC Act.

http://www.environment.gov.au/soe/2011/report/land/3-2-regional.html#ss3-2-3

Biodiversity

Land

The most significant invasive vertebrate animal species are the European fox (Vulpes vulpes), domestic cat (Felis catus), European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus), feral goat (Capri hircus), feral pig (Sus scrofa) and cane toad (Bufo marinus).

Inland waters

A wide range of invasive species affect inland aquatic environments, including non-native freshwater fish species (which represent more than a quarter of the total number of fish species in river systems), feral pigs, the cane toad, red-eared slider turtles and around 10 major invasive plant species nationally

Cooperative Research Centre Program Impact Study Starts

The Allen Consulting Group has been commissioned by the Department of Innovation, Science and Research to undertake an assessment of the impacts of the Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) Program. The primary objective of this study is to provide an assessment of the economic, social and environmental net impacts, both monetary and non-monetary, of the CRC Program to Australia.

Allen Consulting is asking CRCs and end users to contribute to the impact study by responding to a brief survey. This survey asks organisations to provide information about economic, social and environmental impacts, which have resulted from the CRC Program. It will build on the information collected through Annual Reports, the management data questionnaire and other sources.

Your views are important — they will help Allen’s gain a better understanding of the impacts of each individual CRC and the overall impact of the Program to Australia.

A link to the survey is provided below.  Please download the survey from this link and email the completed spreadsheet to crcimpactstudy@allenconsult.com.au. Instructions to complete the survey are included in the first tab of the document entitled Tab 1 – Instructions.

The Survey will close on 3 February 2012.

http://www.allenconsult.com.au/clients/1323412656CRC impact study survey.xls

If you would like further information about the study, a flyer outlining the definitions used for the study, links to the past studies and the approach taken to measuring the impacts can be found at:http://www.allenconsult.com.au/clients/1323413070Cooperative Research Centres impact study.pdf

Impacts that have been included in the past studies may provide useful examples of the type of impacts being examined. The impacts included in the 2005 and 2006 study can be found at:http://www.allenconsult.com.au/clients/1323413126Previously identified impacts.pdf

If you have any questions about the study or the survey please contact Dr John Bell or Alastair McArthur on (02) 6204 6500 or email crcimpactstudy@allenconsult.com.au. Your help is greatly appreciated by the evaluation team.

Source: CRC Association News

PestSmart Roadshow Calendar

For the first time the Invasive Animals CRC is bringing the PestSmart Roadshow to a place near you. It will showcase best practice pest animal management including the latest innovations brought to you by the species experts.

Leading experts appointed to the Clean Energy Future Land Sector Carbon Board

The Australian Government today announced the establishment of the independent Land Sector Carbon and Biodiversity Board.

The Board, chaired by former NSW Environment Minister Bob Debus, has been established as part of the Clean Energy Future Plan which passed Parliament earlier this month.

The Board will advise the Government on a range of measures that will increase the land sector’s resilience to climate change and improve long-term farm productivity.

The measures will also assist landholders and regional communities to benefit from the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the sequestration of carbon in soil, living biomass or organic matter.

The Board will advise the Government on the implementation of the Land Sector Package, performance indicators of the package and the priorities for research under the package.

The package includes the:

• Biodiversity Fund, which includes funding for invasive species management in corridors
• Carbon Farming Futures Fund
• Indigenous Carbon Farming Fund
• Regional Natural Resource Management Planning for Climate Change Fund
• Non-Kyoto Carbon Fund; and
• Carbon Farming Skills program

Over the next six years $1.7 billion will be invested in measures that create great opportunities for regional and rural Australian land managers to participate in the carbon market by replanting native vegetation and storing carbon in soils.

On-ground works to increase soil carbon and restore vegetation will reduce carbon in the atmosphere and increase the resilience of the Australian environment to climate change.

Biodiversity Fund Call now open – Closes Tuesday 31 January 2012.

The Biodiversity Fund will invest around $946 million over the next six years to help land managers store carbon, enhance biodiversity and build greater environmental resilience across the Australian landscape.

To do this, it will fund eligible land managers for activities which restore, manage and better protect biodiversity on public and private land. It will also provide support to land managers who wish to take advantage of emerging opportunities in the new carbon market. The Biodiversity Fund will provide support to establishing new carbon stores or better managing carbon stores of existing native habitat.

The Biodiversity Fund will invest in three main areas:

• Biodiversity planting
• Protecting and enhancing existing vegetation
• Managing threats to biodiversity

For applications and more information please visit. www.environment.gov.au/cleanenergyfuture/biodiversity-fund/apply.html

Over the next six years $1.7 billion will be invested in measures that create great opportunities for regional and rural Australian land managers to participate in the carbon market by replanting native vegetation and storing carbon in soils.

On-ground works to increase soil carbon and restore vegetation will reduce carbon in the atmosphere and increase the resilience of the Australian environment to climate change.

What is the value of an animal’s life?

The idea that the value of an animal’s life is influenced by the circumstances in which it exists, is the normative view in Australia.

For instance, how do we decide a Bilby’s or a sheep’s life is more important than a fox’s?  Between-species relativity is the type of judgment that supports the conclusion that it is okay to kill foxes predating new-born lambs, rabbits threatening birdlife on Macquarie Island or cattle for human consumption – a judgment known as speciesism.

You can further explore this concept through rigorous conversation at <http://theconversation.edu.au/what-is-the-value-of-an-animals-life-4412>.  In addition, as previously mentioned in Feral Flyer, there is the upcoming conference:

Island Arks Symposium II.  The Symposium will be held in Canberra, Australia, 7-9 Feb 2012.

Humane killing of animals – an ethical perspectives seminar. National Convention Centre, Canberra.

HogHopper – Runners up in National Innovation Challenge

It is with great disappointment that Hoghopper didn’t win the Agriculture and Food section of the Innovation Challenge sponsored by the Australian newspaper, Shell and the Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.   However, they are very worthy runners-up and the voting was neck and neck throughout.
Well done to Steve Lapidge and Jason Wishart for their outstanding effort.

Invasive Animals PhD submitted on western brushtail possum populations

Congratulations to Jennyfer Cruz-Bernal who has submitted her PhD thesis to the University of Queensland for marking. Jennyfer says populations of the vulnerable koomal (Trichosurus vulpecula hypoleucus) have declined in some areas of the northern jarrah forest despite ongoing, long-term fox control (as part of Westernshield). Her research examined whether koomal in the northern jarrah forest were limited by predation from red foxes, feral cats, chuditch and/or by resource availability.

Results suggest that fox control remained successful at maintaining low fox densities in the northern jarrah forest. Cat densities were also low. However, densities of the native chuditch were abundant at some sites and scarce or absent at others. At these densities, predators appeared to have no influence on koomal abundance, site occupancy or reproductive output. Increased cat activity was associated with declined koomal body condition suggesting that even low densities of feral predators can have indirect negative effects on native prey.

Nonetheless, koomal were not completely naïve to foxes and cats and minimised their risk of predation by increasing their use of areas with greater groundcover. Overall, koomal populations appeared to be limited primarily by resource availability and to a lesser extent by cats. Conservation of koomal in the northern jarrah forest requires management of food and den resources, as well as an adaptive management approach to not only foxes, but also feral cats.

[Read more]

PAPP and Bluehealer® antidote video

If you didn’t make it to the October 2011 Animal Management in Rural and Remote Indigenous Communities (AMRRIC) conference, you still haven’t missed out.  Videos of presenters are now available on the AMRRIC Websiteincluding:

• Dr Simon Humphrys (Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre) Advances in wild dog control: A new active chemical and antidote (PAPP and Bluehealer® antidote)

Just visit http://gigtv.rampms.com/gigtv/Viewer/?peid=5bc56da840ac45318c8636a25b6fb3151d

New Publications

ECOS features rabbit attack on native vegetation

The Invasive Animals CRC in cooperation with researchers and CSIRO will have a new article published online Monday afternoon, 19 December 2011 on how it only takes one rabbit every two hectares to significantly damage native vegetation regeneration.  At such a low rabbit density, people may not even realise they have a rabbit problem.

The link to use for the story published after lunch on Monday will be www.ecosmagazine.com (The story will display top of the prominent Current Articles list).

The individual page ref will be http://www.ecosmagazine.com/?paper=EC11137.

Estimating and indexing feral cat population abundances using camera traps

Andrew Bengsen, John Butler and Pip Masters (2011) The ability to monitor changes in wildlife or pest animal abundances is fundamental to effective population management, but practical and widely-relevant methods for observing changes in feral cat populations have so far been elusive. http://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/WR11134.htm

International Island Invasives Conference Proceedings

Edited by C. R. Veitch, M. N. Clout, and D. R. Towns. (2011) Island Invasives: Eradication and Management. Proceedings of the International Conference on Island Invasives. IUCN Publications http://www.issg.org/publications.htm#iucn_publications

Wildlife Research Special Issue: Rodent Biology and Management

Wildlife Research Volume 38 Number 7 2011
Rodent Biology and Management Special edition http://www.publish.csiro.au/nid/144/issue/5748.htm

Corey J. A. Bradshaw, Clive R. McMahon, Philip S. Miller, Robert C. Lacy, Michael J. Watts, Michelle L. Verant, John P. Pollak, Damien A. Fordham, Thomas A. A. Prowse, Barry W. Brook (2011). Increasing sophistication of population viability analysis has broadened our capacity to model population change while accounting for system complexity and uncertainty. Journal of Applied Ecology http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2664.2011.02081.x/abstract;jsessionid=BD522803E3B9C91B905C0B7A90C08BA8.d01t02

Media round-up

We’ll pay to control feral pestsLOCAL councils could be forced to expand into feral animal management under a proposed State Government bill…Queensland Times [Read more]

War on predators helping restore island to health
Just as suddenly as it cleared the previous day, the weather on Macquarie Island, more than 1,500 kilometres south of the southernmost tip of the Australian mainland, has turned foul again… Port Stephens Examiner [Read more]

Paroo leads wild dog control
The wild dog control strategy used by the south-west Queensland shire of Paroo is set to become the model for dog control nationwide…ABC Rural [Read more]

Wild dog numbers barking mad
ALL levels of government should share responsibility for controlling wild dogs on the North Coast, according to Page MP Janelle Saffin… Daily Examiner [Read more]

Harnessing the potential of the South West
Agricultural education, wild dog management and South West tourism are the focus of a visit to Paroo Shire by Minister for Agriculture, Food and Regional Economies Tim Mulherin… Queensland Government [Read more]

Fox positive scat collected from Lillico, TAS
Results received on Friday 25 November 2011 from the University of Canberra’s Institute for Applied Ecology report that one (1) scat tested positive for fox DNA…DPIPWE [Read more]

2012 CRC FOCUS ON CLEAN TECH, SOCIAL INNOVATION AND REGIONS
The 15^th Cooperative Research Centres (CRC) funding round next year will focus on clean manufacturing, social innovation and sustainable regional communities…Australian Government [Read more]

Pigs removed to help parrots prosper
Rangers have removed more than 3,500 feral pigs from Staaten River National Park on southern Cape York Peninsula to help protect the endangered golden-shouldered parrot…North Queensland Register [Read more]

Feral meat pet food push
A TERRITORY businessman wants the Government to allow him to use feral animals culled in Kakadu to be made into pet food…Weekly Times Now [Read more]

Residents take up rabbit fight
While the recent wet weather has been good news for Canberra’s parks and gardens, they are not the only things flourishing…Campus Daily [Read more]

The last refuge
Great extinctions have blighted Australia since European settlement but Nicky Phillips finds a small sanctuary still thriving in the isolated splendour of the Kimberley region…The Age [Read more]

Regional pest management strategies
Draft strategies open for public comment until 29 February 2012 … NSW Government [Read more]

Changing the game in biological controls
Introducing cane toads to control the cane beetle in the 1930s and introducing cats in the 1890s to combat rabbits were unsophisticated and naive attempts at biocontrol… Stock Journal [Read more]

Upcoming conferences

For more information on these and other events, please see details on our website.

2012

• 12th National Conference on Science, Policy and the Environment. Washington, DC. 18-20 January
• 25th Vertebrate Pest Conference (USA). Monterey, California. 5-8 March
• CRCA 2012 Conference. Adelaide, 15-17 May
• 4th International Wildlife Management Congress. Durban, South Africa. 9-12 July
• Invertebrates associated with invasive alien organisms. Riga (Latvia) 16–18 August
• Invasive organisms and globalisation. Riga (Latvia) 20-23 August
• 3rd European Congress of Conservation Biology. Glasgow, Scotland. 28 Aug-1 Sept
• Fertility Control Conference. Jackson Wyoming, USA. 29 Aug-1 Sept

Send the Feral Flyer to your friends. They can subscribe directly by clicking here.

Hauraki Gulf islands finally pest-free

Motutapu and Rangitoto Islands in the Hauraki Gulf have finally been declared pest-free wildlife sanctuaries following a 20-year eradication programme, Conservation Minister Kate Wilkinson says.The occasion has been marked with the first release of threatened native wildlife on Motutapu Island, including two breeding pairs of takahe – one of New Zealand’s rarest native birds.Up to 20 tieke, or saddleback, another native bird brought back from the brink of extinction, were also released.The release of endangered species in Auckland’s backyard was a big occasion, Ms Wilkinson said.

“There are only 250 takahe left in the world and that we are able to release them in a safe sanctuary here in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park is testament to the fantastic work the Department of Conservation (DOC) has undertaken to rid these islands of pests.

“Motutapu and Rangitoto will now play a significant role in protecting our most endangered wildlife.

“Takahe were thought to be extinct until rediscovered in Fiordland in 1948. The grassland on Motutapu provides a good feeding ground for takahe and the island is big enough to hold up to 20 breeding pair. This would make it the largest population of takahe outside Fiordland.”

DOC had removed nine animal pests from the islands. Possums and wallabies were eradicated in the early 1990s. Ship rats, Norway rats, stoats, mice, feral cats, hedgehogs and rabbits have now been removed with the completion of a major eradication operation that began in June 2009.

About 30 species of threatened native wildlife were expected to be released onto the islands, including kiwi, hihi or stitchbird, tuatara and several species of native reptile.

“Ridding Rangitoto and Motutapu of pests marks a major conservation achievement as it creates New Zealand’s second largest pest-free sanctuary covering more than 3800 hectares combined,” Ms Wilkinson said.

Link: Click to read the full application and to comment

Could tadpole weaponry be used against cane toads?

A chemical produced naturally by cane toad tadpoles may one day be used to help control the invasive species, according to new research published today. Cane toadsare native to South America but have overrun Northern Australia since being introduced in 1935.Efforts to control the outbreak have been stymied by the toad’s impressive rate of reproduction; the warty amphibians lay up to 30,000 eggs at a time, crowding out native frogs, which produce only 3000 eggs per clutch

However, a new ARC-funded study by scientists from the University of Sydney found that cane toad tadpoles produce a chemical that ‘poisons’ competing cane toad tadpole eggs. They hope the chemical may one day be used in the battle against the invasive species.

“A toad is another toad’s worst enemy. If you are a toad tadpole, you really love to get rid of the opposition by killing any eggs as soon as they are laid,” said Rick Shine, Professor in Evolutionary Biology at University of Sydney and co-author of the study.

“What we discovered is that toad tadpoles have a very cunning chemical which has the effect of really substantially disturbing the development of eggs laid in the same pond.”

More information: The Conversation. Full Story

Eve McDonald-Madden award

Congratulations Eve
It’s just been announced that EDG resarch fellow Eve McDonald-Madden is one of three L’Oreal Australia Women in Science
Fellowships in 2011. Fellowships are run globally by L’Oréal in partnership with UNESCO and celebrate the achievements of
the world’s finest women scientists. Eve is up there with the best, well done!
Full details are at http://www.scienceinpublic.com/loreal/

Communities and Wildlife Management.

There are Open sessions and 8 symposia:

• Putting science into practice to make wildlife management work
• Local wildlife management in the Blue Mountains and Central West NSW
• Communication of science in wildlife management
• Contemporary issues in wildlife management: managing wildlife at the centre of public debate
• Managing and impacts of wildlife and pest species in urban and peri-urban environments
• Animal behaviour and it use for managing wildlife
• Diseases of wildlife: interactions with human values andbiodiversity
• Pest control strategies: Are they more important than silver bullets?

Call for Abstracts 2011 due 9 September.

Remember to have your best wildlife photographs ready for the photo comp, too.

More information & to submit abstracts: http://www.onqconferences.com.au/events/awms11/index.html

Participants Committee Meeting

Another IA CRC Participant’s Committee Meeting to coincide with our Annual General Meeting is to be held in

Canberra at the Belconnen Premier Inn, 27th October 2011, so please put this date aside in your diaries.

The Annual Award Dinner will be held the previous evening – 26th October and we are planning a special evening with a retrospective look at the past 20 odd years, and presenting the final awards for this CRC.

We will review the performance and achievements of the current CRC over the past year, and there will be a substantial presentation on ‘Pest Smart Information Toolkit and Roadshow’ activities, with information on how we are getting our tools and techniques demonstrated and taken up Nationally.

As we have got through to Stage 2, we also plan that the meeting will recap the extension bid, receive Program Overview presentations from the Program Leaders of the extension CRC, and discuss preparations for interview.

We are also planning to have one or two guest speakers. Many of you will recall the excellent presentation made by Atticus Fleming from Australian Wildlife Conservancy a couple of years ago, and we hope to have another interesting address for you.

Please RSVP to Kate Lawrence on kate.lawrence@invasiveanimals.com by 1 October, and as soon as possible

Nominations open for IA CRC annual awards

Nominations for the three annual IA CRC prizes are now open. The prizes recognise the fantastic work of our staff, researchers and collaborators and acknowledge the valuable contributions they make to invasive animal management. These prizes will be the last awarded in this CRC, so please make the point by nominating.

Awards offered are:

• IA CRC Chair’s prize for excellence in science
• Participant’s Prize for outstanding contribution to invasive animal management
• Chief Executive’s prize for achievement as an IA CRC student.

Nominations for each of the three prize categories should be sent to: contact@invasiveanimals.com marked to the attention of Chief Executive, Andreas Glanznig, by no later than Monday 3 October 2011. This year, prizes will be awarded at IA CRC presentations which will be held on Wednesday 26 October in Canberra.

For further information on the eligibility criteria and nomination process, visit:

http://www.invasiveanimals.com/about-us/corporate/awards/

Latest islandNet newsletter now online

Newsletter #7 is now available to read on-line

Topics included are:

• Island in Focus: Australia – including the Macquarie island Project, Tasman island cat eradication success & Foxes in Tasmania
• Islands in Focus: International – including stories on Hauraki Gulf Islands, alien giant tortoise & Removing Australian pine from the Bahamas
• Featured Article – Glapagos, Las Encantadas.
• Recent News & Publications – including information on Rodent and cat eradication, Japanese Islands listed as World Heritage & Conference information

Link: For more information and to download the newsletter, please visit Newsletter #7

New Publications and resources

Scientific Papers

K. E. Moseby and B. M. Hill . (2011). The use of poison baits to control feral cats and red foxes in arid South Australia I. Aerial baiting trials. Wildlife Research 38(4): 338-349

K. E. Moseby, J. L. Read, B. Galbraith, N. Munro, J. Newport and B. M. Hill. The use of poison baits to control feral cats and red foxes in arid South Australia II. Bait type, placement, lures and non-target uptake: a review Wildlife Research, 38(4):

Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk

A new edition of the Pacific Island Ecosystems at Risk (PIER) website is now online. There is now information on over 1800 invasive and potentially invasive plant species of concern to the Pacific Islands.

This edition also incorporates 185 new risk assessments; there are now over 1700 risk assessments listed. PIER can be accessed at: http://www.hear.org/pier/

Media round-up

Crazy Like a Pet Fox

The Gillard Government is considering an application to import foxes from the United States to Australia, to be sold as pets and bred for commercial sale. The Canberra Times. Rosslyn Beeby [ More ]

Move to Import Silver Fox as Pets

A BID to import silver foxes as pets is being considered by the Federal Government. Adelaide Now [ More ]

Fox in boots

An increase in fox numbers across the country may explain why so many farmers are missing a work boot. [ More ]

The Real Problem with Silver Fox as Pets

RSPCA says there are hidden problems with allowing people to import silver foxes as pets. Brisbane Times [ More ]

Beware the Silver Fox

THE National Farmers’ Federation (NFF) has called on the Government to refuse the application to import silver foxes into Australia as pets and potential breeding animals. Stock and Land [ More ]

Silver Fox Import Plan Condemned

ANIMAL shelters will be placed under further pressure if the importation of silver foxes as an exotic domestic pet is permitted, the RSPCA has warned. Sydney Morning Herald Richard Willingham [ More ]

Hole lot of trouble as mouse plague destroys canola crops

STAND on the edge of this paddock in Hopetoun and a magnificent-looking canola crop stands before you. The Age [ More ]

Fox plan ludicrous

AUSTRALIA has a history of disastrous introductions of exotic plants and animals. Weekly Times [ More ]

new story

ANIMAL shelters will be placed under further pressure if the importation of silver foxes as an exotic domestic pet is permitted, the RSPCA has warned. Sydney Morning Herald Richard Willingham [ More ]

new story

STAND on the edge of this paddock in Hopetoun and a magnificent-looking canola crop stands before you. The Age [ More ]

new story

AUSTRALIA has a history of disastrous introductions of exotic plants and animals. Weekly Times [ More ]

Upcoming conferences

For more information on these and other events, please see details on our website.

2011

• Wildlife Disease Association (WDA) Australasia Annual Conference. Meningie, SA. 25-30 September.
• 6th Annual Society for Risk Analysis Conference, Brisbane, QLD. 26-28 September.
• 8th European Vertebrate Pest Management Conference. Berlin, Germany 26-30 September.
• 2011 MDBA Native Fish Forum, Canberra, ACT. 18-19 October.
• 38th Natural Areas Conference: Adaptation and protection of biodiversity in a changing world. Tallahassee, Florida, USA, 1-4 November 2011.
• HWCC Conflict training: Analyzing and Transforming Conflict to Create Sustainable Solutions for People and Wildlife. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, The Big Island, Hawaii, 1-4 November.
• 18th Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society. The Big Island, Hawaii 5-10 November.
• Ecological Society of Australia annual conference. Hobart, Tasmania. 21-25 November.
• Biolief: Biological Invasions and Ecosystem Functioning. Mar del Plata, Argentina, 21-24 November.
• AMWS Conference. Bathurst NSW, November 29-December 1.
• International Congress for Conservation Biology. Auckland, New Zealand 5-9 December.

2012

• 25th Vertebrate Pest Conference (USA). Monterey, California. 5-8 March
• 4th International Wildlife Management Congress. Durban, South Africa. 9-12 July
• 3rd European Congress of Conservation Biology. Glasgow, Scotland. 28 Aug-1 Sept
• Fertility Control Conference. Jackson Wyoming, USA. 29 Aug-1 Sept

Welcome to issue 190 of Feral Flyer.

Send the Feral Flyer to your friends. They can subscribe directly by clicking here. Read online.

We want your Feral Photos!

Colour, black & white or sepia-tone photos, remote camera photos, funny photos and panoramic photos will all be accepted. Our finalists will be featured in a special 2012 Feral Photos competition calendar!

All entries must be provided in electronic or printed form with a completed entry form available for download from http://www.invasiveanimals.com/feral-photos/.

When is a black rat NOT a black rat?

When it is an Asiatic black rat - Rattus tanezumi!

Believe it or not, we have another species of black rat running around Australia, probably also arriving many years ago. It is an Asiatic species similar to the black rat Rattus rattus. Only a close examination of their skulls or their DNA tells them apart. This has major implications for rat control/bait registration, and possible disease transmission.

Like the fox DNA project to which many of you contributed fox tissue samples (see http://www.foxdna.animals.uwa.edu.au/welcome/results), researchers at the South Australian Museum need black rat tissue samples. They send out a pre-paid postage pack containing some vials of DNA preserving solution. They need you to snip off the tip of the tail and stick it in the vial. When the vials are full and each labelled with collection date/location/collector/sex of rat, then simply seal the pack and put it in the post. Sampling a road-kill black rat is fine if you think it is fresh.

Please contact Steve Donnellan (ph: 08 8303 4855; steve.donnellan@sa.gov.au), Terry Bertozzi (08-8303 3925) at SA Museum, or Dave Peacock (08 8303 9504; david.peacock@sa.gov.au) at Biosecurity SA, for further information and to request the postage-paid collection kits.

Decision-Making Guide for Invasive Species Program Managers

A Decision-Making Guide for Invasive Species Program Managers has been released. This guide was prepared to assist senior level program managers and policy makers in establishing priorities and making choices for invasive species management programs. It focuses on the management of invasive species once they have arrived, which is an uncomfortable, but increasingly familiar role for many program managers and policy makers.

The idea for the guide was conceived at the October 2010 annual meeting of the Continental Dialogue on Non-Native Forest Insects and Diseases. While the guide will not provide specific answers to your invasive species problems, it can provide context, based on many years of experience and lessons learned, to assist in making the best management decisions possible.

The guide will be available online in the Continental Dialogue Library (http://www.continentalforestdialogue.org/library/index.html) soon.

FeralScan: new features Since the re-launch of RabbitScan in January, FeralScan has also rolled out FoxScan, CamelScan, and MynaScan websites. Websites for mapping cane toads, feral pigs, and many other significant pest species will soon follow. Some NEW features have recently been added including:

• Map printing tool, so you can create and print maps for your local area
• A bulk data importing table (suitable if you have many sightings to upload)
• Month and year filter, e.g. January, 2011
• New images in all photo galleries

To date, over 6,000 sightings, damage and control records have been entered in FeralScan to help control feral pests and reduce the damage they cause. The more information added into FeralScan, the more useful it will become for coordinating control of feral animals in your region and across the country.

Link: To find out more about these new features or see the latest maps, visit www.feralscan.org.au.

Surveillance is an essential component of Australia’s preparedness for emerging and exotic diseases, as well as for the management of endemic diseases. Surveillance is used to provide information on disease prevalence and distribution, as well as for demonstrating freedom from disease and for the detection of new and emerging diseases. However, how confident are you that the results of your surveillance are accurate? How reliable are your prevalence estimates? Will your surveillance results withstand critical scrutiny? How should I select my sample to ensure it is representative of the population?

This course is designed to provide a practical introduction to disease surveillance for animal health professionals. It starts with the basic concepts and reasons for undertaking surveillance and builds on these concepts to work through case studies and examples of different sampling and analytical methods for both random and risk-based surveillance programs.

The course is targeted primarily at animal health professionals responsible for planning or implementing disease surveillance at administrative, planning or field levels. This includes students undertaking postgraduate degrees, as well as researchers, laboratory professionals, animal health managers, epidemiologists and field staff.

More information: http://training.ausvet.com.au/index.php?n=Main.PracticalDiseaseSurveillance

The Invasive Species Compendium & CABI Blog

A fabulous free resource now available for you to use!

The CABI Invasive Species Compendium is an online, open access reference work covering recognition, biology, distribution, impact and management of the world’s invasive plants and animals.

The Invasive Species Compendium currently covers over 1,500 species with over 7,000 basic summary datasheets and 1,500 detailed datasheets. You can also access over 800 full text articles (in pdf format) and 65,000 abstract summaries, with plans to add 10,000 more by the end of 2011. This new resource has been built upon a brand new technical platform which enables our experts to update the datasheets and bibliographical data on a weekly basis.

CABI has also launched a blog site on invasive species. You can sign up to an email subscription or a RSS feed.

Links:

• Invasive Species Compendium: http://www.cabi.org/Default.aspx?site=170&page=4127
• Invasive Species blog: http://cabiinvasives.wordpress.com/

Productivity Commission Report into Rural R&D

Research and Development is vital to the productivity and competitiveness of Australia’s rural industries, and the health and resilience of our rural and regional communities. The Australian Government plays a key role in addressing market failures and supporting productivity growth through co-funding R&D.

Investment in R&D makes an important contribution to productivity growth, a key determinant of economic performance, international competitiveness and economic welfare. Rural R&D that contributes to increased productivity through more sustainable use of natural resources results in significant private and public benefits.

To ensure the best value for money from the Research and Development Corporation (RDC) model, in February 2010 the Government asked the Productivity Commission to conduct an inquiry into the rural RDCs, including an examination of the appropriateness of the current funding levels and arrangements for driving productivity improvements through R&D.

The Gillard Government’s preliminary response to the Commission’s report has been tabled. While the Commission’s report makes it clear that some aspects of the RDC model can be improved, strong support for the model overall was evident throughout the Commission’s inquiry.

A key recommendation of the Commission’s report is for a reduction to the cap on matching contributions from 0.5 to 0.25 per cent of an industry’s gross value of production, partially offset by a 20 cent in the dollar government contribution for industry contributions above the cap. The Government’s view is that there is a risk that reducing government contributions would undermine the strength of the model, and that’s why our preliminary response states that the government will not reduce the cap on matching contributions

The government has also released the Rural Research and Development Council’s National Strategic Rural Research and Development Investment Plan. The plan outlines a rationale for balancing Australian Government investment in rural R&D and identifies major themes against which investment should be determined.

The Government will consult broadly with the community in developing its final response to the Productivity Commission’s report over coming months. Following that consultation, the Government will finalise its response to the Commission’s report, including assessing whether any changes are required to broader rural R&D policy.

The Productivity Commission’s report is available at www.pc.gov.au.

The National Strategic Rural R&D Investment Plan and the Government’s preliminary response to the Productivity Commission’s report are available at www.daff.gov.au/pcreview.

Wildpro® – An Electronic Encyclopaedia & Library for Wildlife Professionals

Recently, the Wildlife Information Network (WIN) became part of the Twycross Zoo – East Midland Zoological Society. With their support, WIN was able to make Wildpro® freely available to anyone with internet access.

This multimedia system allows people to quickly and easily access extraordinary amounts of information – take a look: http://wildpro.twycrosszoo.org/

NRM grants available to community groups

Community groups in the South Australian Arid Lands Region are being urged to share in $2 million in funding to carry out local land care and water care projects.

Environment and Conservation Minister Paul Caica announced the Natural Resources Management (NRM) grants scheme which is designed to support grass roots natural resources management initiatives across South Australia. Community groups are invited to submit projects by Friday 24 June to be eligible for grants to be awarded in the current financial year.

“These grants can help support groups involved in activities ranging from sustainable farming systems through to habitat improvements around townships,” said Ms Kate Forrest, Community Engagement Manager with the South Australian Arid Lands (SAAL) NRM Board.

“Grants will be awarded for projects including fencing watercourses, sustainable land management, soil protection, weed control, native plant revegetation and habitat protection for native animal – or other priorities supported by the region’s NRM plan.”

Small grants up to $10,000 and medium grants between $10,000 and $30,000 are available.

Applications close on Friday, June 24. Application forms and further details are available at www.nrm.sa.gov.au or contact the SAAL NRM Board (08) 8648 5977.

New Publications

Scientific Papers

Michael Crossland, Gregory Brown and Richard Shine (2011). The enduring toxicity of road-killed cane toads (Rhinella marina) Biological Invasions, May 2011. doi: 10.1007/s10530-011-0031-x (online early)

Reports

Tim Low (2011). Climate Change and Queensland Biodiversity. Environment and Resource Management, Queensland Government.
This report is one of the first detailed considerations of how Queensland biodiversity may be impacted by climate change.

Popular articles

Farmers working with farmers to control wild dogs. Beyond the Bale Magazine, March 2011. Australian Wool Innovation. p22-24 http://digital.wool.com.au/?xml=awi.xml&startpage=22.

AWI has provided funding to woolgrower groups to help tackle the wild dog problem. In Western Australia the funding has gone towards running Wild Dog Management Planning Workshops which have seen woolgrowers, AWI, DAFWA and the Invasive Animals CRC working together.

Media round-up

Dogs a guardian angel for herds
WILD dogs are known to have some predatory impact on all livestock industries across Queensland and present some unique problems in the more closely-developed regions like the Fraser Coast. [ More ]

Mice plague southeast
SOUTHEAST Australia is experiencing its worst attack of mice in 50 years. [ More ]

Wild dog control needs more data
A KEY researcher into wild dog control has called for a ‘national adaptive framework’ that will help individual communities manage dog numbers at the local level. [ More ]

Mice baiting dampened
Graingrowers across eastern Australia battling mice are reminded to remain vigilant in monitoring their crops after baiting, especially after rain. [ More ]

ABC Rural Report
Japanese wood chipper targets s/e Australian wild dogs and foxes, and landholders continue to lose sheep to predators: 2 views of the wild dog environmental management struggle. [ More ]

Just one click to identify Australian species
Australian wildlife enthusiasts are putting our native species on the map, all with the click of a mouse. [ More ]

Mice control
Sowing is well underway in most districts and autumn is now also the time to be assessing the potential for mice damage to crops. [ More ]

More mouse bait on the way
A shortage of mouse bait has led some farmers to hazard mixing their own poisons. [ More ]

Concerted effort on mice
MICE. They’re small, fluffy and generally harmless, right? Wrong. [ More ]

Local wheat crop faces risk from mice plague
An exploding population of mice is threatening some of Australia’s key wheat growing areas, feeding on new crops and posing a threat to the 2011/12 crop of one of the world’s top wheat exporters. [ More ]

ABC Rural Report for Gippsland and SE NSW
Wood-chipper protects livestock and native animals from pest animal foxes and wild dogs. [ 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

• 15th Australasian Vertebrate Pest Conference. Sydney, Australia, 20-23 June.
• 4th Biennial Australian Animal Studies Group Conference. Brisbane, QLD. 10-13 July.
• National Bestprac Forum. Hawker, South Australia. 11-12 August.
• 6th Annual Society for Risk Analysis Conference, Brisbane, QLD. 26-28 September.
• 8th European Vertebrate Pest Management Conference. Berlin, Germany 26-30 September.
• 38th Natural Areas Conference: Adaptation and protection of biodiversity in a changing world. Tallahassee, Florida, USA, 1-4 November 2011.
• HWCC Conflict training: Analyzing and Transforming Conflict to Create Sustainable Solutions for People and Wildlife. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, The Big Island, Hawaii, 1-4 November.
• 18th Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society. The Big Island, Hawaii 5-10 November.
• Ecological Society of Australia annual conference. Hobart, Tasmania. 21-25 November.
• Biolief: Biological Invasions and Ecosystem Functioning. Mar del Plata, Argentina, 21-24 November.
• International Congress for Conservation Biology. Auckland, New Zealand 5-9 December.

Welcome to issue 189 of Feral Flyer.

Send the Feral Flyer to your friends. They can subscribe directly by clicking here. Read online.

IA CRC wins Award for Excellence in Innovation

The Invasive Animals CRC was presented with an Award for Excellence in Innovation at the recent CRC Association Conference in Brisbane. The award was for innovation in education and training and public outreach activities, in particular for bringing together farmers, the community, school students and researchers in a campaign against rabbits.

Through websites, the media, national story-telling competition and toolkits, the CRC has constructed partnerships with community, industry and landholders, unlocking the power of Australians to work together.

The public awareness programs include RabbitScan, which helps landholders map rabbit hotspots on their property, and pinpoint the areas where they have rabbit control programs in place.

feral.org.au is a key to the CRC’s fight against the rabbit. It is an interactive, online resource providing a central reference point for pest animal research. People can search for maps, fact sheets, articles and photos, any information relevant to their own region.

Mr Andreas Glanznig, CEO of the Invasive Animals CRC, says a key project of the CRC, RHD Boost, aims to identify new and more effective Rabbit Haemorrhagic Disease Virus (RHDV) strains and potentially save the Australian economy $1.4 billion over 15 years.

“There seems to be a rising genetic resistance to the original calicivirus and we’re screening new candidates which work better in cooler, wetter regions,” he says. “We need a broad range of programs in place if we are going to bring rabbits under control.”

The Award was presented by Professor Margaret Sheil, CEO of the Australian Research Council, at the CRC Association Awards Dinner on Wednesday 18 May.

Links:

• RabbitScan: Citizen Science
• Rabbit information on feral.org.au
• IA CRC Rabbit research

Managing information on new pest incursions and interceptions

A national workshop was held by the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre in April 2011, to work out how biosecurity-related agencies can nationally share information on incursions and interceptions of exotic vertebrates. Currently, there are inconsistencies in the type and amount of information collected by different jurisdictions, and this information is not generally shared between agencies. As a result, there is no national picture of exotic vertebrate incursions (animals found at large) and interceptions (animal seizures, surrenders and stowaways). The workshop aimed to recommend a standard for reporting and a centralised reporting point where information can be shared.

It was agreed that data from all related jurisdictions should be regularly collated onto a secure centralised website, under the governance of the Vertebrate Pests Committee (VPC), to enable information to be shared at a national level. The forum recommends VPC write to constituent members to ask for data to be sent at least quarterly to a VPC community space on ABIN, to build a national surveillance database by 2012. The quarterly submission should be in spreadsheet format, and at least the following fields should be included, subject to further refinement:

• scientific name
• common name (linked list to scientific name to avoid confusion and error)
• number of animals
• sex of animals, if known
• form of animals, if known (juvenile, adult, egg)
• status of animals (live, dead, euthanised on seizure)
• location of incident (latitude/longitude if possible, or nearest town and postcode otherwise)
• date of incident
• submitter (including a departmental identifier)
• incident identification number
• how animal was detected (in-wild observation; seizure from private premises, at airport, at seaport; stowaway at airport, at seaport; advert)
• pathway information (source country, known associated illegal activities, etc).

These fields should be refined to a National Vertebrate Pest Animal Standard.

Further information and the workshop proceedings are available from Dr Wendy Henderson, Program Coordinator and Project Leader, Detection and Prevention, Invasive Animals CRC. (email: wendy.henderson@invasiveanimals.com)

IA CRC Balanced Scientist Program: Tony Buckmaster

Tony Buckmaster from the University of Sydney submitted his PhD thesis, “Ecology of the feral cat (Felis catus) in the tall forests of Far East Gippsland” in March. Tony was a student in the IA CRC’s balanced scientist program and his research was undertaken in the Southern Ark demonstration site in Victoria.

His research showed that feral cats employ a Lévy walk style movement pattern which maximises their probability of encountering sparsely distributed prey items. Feral cats rarely excavate baits so those used for cats need to be surface laid. Using a decision tree style desktop analysis Tony also found that encapsulating a toxicant in a Hard Shelled Delivery Vehicle that maintains structural integrity would significantly reduce the probability of non-target species to access the toxicant when compared with directly injecting the toxicant into the baits.

Tony found the IA CRC’s Balanced Scientist Program to be beneficial to his research and overall PhD experience. Although enrolled at the University of Sydney, Tony spent most of his time either in Canberra or at his field sites in Victoria.

“The ability to interact and exchange ideas with other researchers and students from many different background and fields of research was of particular benefit, especially for me as a remote student” said Tony.

Tony is now working as an associate lecturer with the University of Canberra and is also the new IA CRC Education Program Coordinator. The attached image shows Tony fitting a radio collar to the feral cat “Danielle” during his PhD fieldwork.

Links:

• IA-CRC profile for Southern Ark demonstration site project
• IA-CRC student profile for Tony Buckmaster

Hatches and Matches Congratulations to two of our Balanced Scientist students who have been busy away from their thesis and research projects! Peter Elsworth and wife welcomed Lachlan Peter David Elsworth on the 5th May, weighing 3.03kg. Pete reports that “He’s pretty tiny but feeding really well and not sleeping too bad. We usually only have to get up to him 3-4 times a night and we usually get a 3-4 hour break between feeds…sometimes 5! It’s all a bit new and exciting though.” Congratulations also to Hayley Pearson who married Matthew Hall in Nowra, on the NSW South Coast, on the April 8th. Their celebration was shared with 70 of their family and friends. They honeymooned for 2 weeks in Vanuatu.

New publications

Reports

Caley P, Tennant P and Hood G (2011). Modelling the distribution of vertebrate pests in New South Wales under climate change. Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, Canberra.

This report uses quantitative and, where necessary, qualitative species distribution models to predict the distribution and abundance of vertebrate pests affecting biodiversity in New South Wales, using land manager desk-top surveys undertaken in 2004. These models were then used to predict the distribution and abundance of these pests under 2050 climate forecasts.

Feral goats, feral cats, red foxes, European rabbits, feral pigs, cane toads, Indian mynas, starlings, wild dogs and wild deer are covered in the report. As expected under a warmer climate, cane toads, which have tropical origins, are predicted to expand their range considerably (fourfold). Predictions varied more for species with temperate origins. Rabbits are predicted to generally decline in distribution and abundance. Foxes are predicted to increase in density in some areas and decrease in others, with their overall distribution changing little. Feral cats are predicted to have a slight decrease in abundance, but to maintain a similar range.

Scientific Papers

de Tores PJ et al. (2011). Assessment of risks to non-target species from an encapsulated toxin in a bait proposed for control of feral cats. Wildlife Research 38(1) 39-50 doi:10.1071/WR10105.

Marsh MK, McLeod SR, Hutchings MR and White PCL (2011). Use of proximity loggers and network analysis to quantify social interactions in free-ranging wild rabbit populations. Wildlife Research 38(1) 1-12 doi:10.1071/WR10150.

Berman D, Brennan M, and Elsworth P (2011). How can warren destruction by ripping control European wild rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) on large properties in the Australian arid zone? Wildlife Research 38(1) 77-88 doi:10.1071/WR09178.

Jones C, Pech R, Forrester G, King CM and Murphy EC (2011). Functional responses of an invasive top predator Mustela erminea to invasive meso-predators Rattus rattus and Mus musculus, in New Zealand forests. Wildlife Research 38(2) 131-140 doi:10.1071/WR10137.

Sanders DL et al (2011). Efficacy of ERL-4221 as an ovotoxin for feral pigs (Sus scrofa). Wildlife Research 38(2) 168-172 doi:10.1071/WR10179.

Horn JA, Mateus-Pinilla N, Warner RE and Heske EJ (2011). Home range, habitat use, and activity patterns of free-roaming domestic cats.  The Journal of Wildlife Management, 75: n/a. doi: 10.1002/jwmg.145.

Newsletters

The latest issue of the Tasmanian Fox Eradication Program’s quarterly newsletter ‘Eradicate’ for Autumn 2011 is now available. In this issue you will find an updated fox evidence map, as well as feature articles on current fox baiting and monitoring operations, information on identifying foxes, a profile of the new Branch Manager and a quiz on the history of foxes in Tasmania.

The newsletter can be downloaded from http://www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/fox. If you would like hard copies of the newsletter, please email Fox.Enquiries@dpipwe.tas.gov.au.

Save the date: 2011 National Bestprac Forum – Rangeland Renewal

Planning is underway for the National Bestprac Forum to be held on the 11th and 12th of August 2011 at Hawker, SA.

With the rangelands currently entering a period of renewal and reinvigoration, what an amazing time to be involved in rangeland sheep meat, wool and cattle production. This two day forum will showcase and discuss a wide range of industry issues.

This forum is open to all rangeland producers, industry stakeholders and service providers. Topics will focus on innovative practices and techniques that are essential for rangeland businesses during this time of renewal and reinvigoration.

To register your interest in attending this forum or for more information, please contact Carlyn Sherriff, Bestprac National Coordinator on 08 8842 1103 or email bestprac@ruraldirections.com.

More information: http://www.bestprac.info/

2012 Fulbright Scholarship applications now open

Valued at between USD30,00 and USD64,000, Fulbright scholarships are open to Australian citizens to undertake research or study in the United States for 3 – 12 months. Scholarships can be started between 1 July 2012 and 30 June 2013.

As the largest and one of the most prestigious educational scholarship programs in the world, Fulbright provides unique opportunities for Australians to build long-term research collaboration and linkages with U.S. universities.

Applications are open from any field of study to Postgraduates (to do research related to their Australian PhD. or enrol in a US degree); Postdoctoral; Professional and Senior Scholars. Applicants from every state are also encouraged to consider the state/territory specific Fulbright Scholarships that have now been established.

For further information, please direct people to see www.fulbright.com.au. Applications close 31 August 2011.

Dr Dickson is currently Deputy Secretary in the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and has held senior roles in the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, and Environment and Heritage.

Position Vacant

Island Conservation: Pacific Regional Director
Possible Locations: Australia, Fiji, Guam, New Zealand, and Western Samoa

Island Conservation (IC) is a US-based, nonprofit organization that works with governments and communities around the world to protect island species under acute threat of extinction. Its primary means for doing so is the removal of invasive vertebrates on islands. With its partners, IC designs and implements conservation projects, which ensure native species protection and demonstrate cutting-edge invasive species removal techniques.

IC seeks to fill a new regional director position to grow and manage a conservation program in the Pacific Islands. This biologically unique area comprises some 20,000 to 30,000 islands, which are home to hundreds of endemic species. The Pacific Regional Director (PRD) will be responsible for developing and executing overall strategy throughout the region, the development of collaborative partnerships with diverse stakeholders, and for ensuring that high impact, multilateral grants and other change-making mechanisms are used to achieve planned outcomes and impact.

This role requires expert leadership, communication, and management skills, and the ability to develop meaningful relationships with the government agencies of the independent island nations, territories, and nations with islands, which make up the region, as well as regional partners, external partners, and a variety of funders. This is an outstanding opportunity for a strategic and politically savvy leader with demonstrated successful fundraising experience and broad regional knowledge. The PRD will serve on IC’s senior management team and report to the Executive Director.

More:

• About the position and to apply.
• About the organisation Island Conservation (www.islandconservation.org)

Media round-up

Bounty for foxes
Mike Braysher interviewed for report on Channel Ten’s 6.30 with George Negus. [ More ]

New $1.33 million project to collar wild dogs
Wild dogs are having each step they take tracked by satellite as part of a $1.33 million project, NSW Primary Industries Minister, Katrina Hodgkinson, said today. [ More ]

Fight to save Antarctic Island
A special journey to one of Australia’s environmental jewels – Macquarie Island. [ More ]

Fox taskforce feels the heat

Former policeman Craig Elliot has been appointed as the head of the Tasmanian fox eradication program as debate flares over its effectiveness. [ More ]

Locals learn tricks of the trade
LANDHOLDERS experienced a steep learning curve at a three-day workshop in Springsure about wild dogs and how to control them. [ More ]

Mouse plague threatens winter crops across four eastern states
Farmers are anxiously waiting for mouse bait supplies as winter grain crops begin to shoot. [ More ]

Wild dogs threatening koalas
There’s a push for koalas to become a protected species under federal rules. [ More ]

Farmers struggle with mice plague
A battle is underway in four Australian states against an enemy that keeps growing in number. [ More ]

Wild dogs tracked from space
SATELLITES will be used to track wild dogs in NSW and monitor the effectiveness of aerial baiting. [ More ]

New insight into the role of a guardian dog
A STUDY examining how guardian dogs keep livestock safe from wild dogs has revealed an interesting behavioural twist. [ More ]

Challenging times on Goldfields station
STURT Meadows station is one of the few stocked properties left in the Goldfields. [ More ]

Mice on the move
BAITING for mice continues through Victoria and southern NSW, as reports roll in of massive numbers of the rodents, particularly through the Mallee. [ 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

• 15th Australasian Vertebrate Pest Conference. Sydney, Australia, 20-23 June.
• 4th Biennial Australian Animal Studies Group Conference. Brisbane, QLD. 10-13 July.
• National Bestprac Forum. Hawker, South Australia. 11-12 August.
• 6th Annual Society for Risk Analysis Conference, Brisbane, QLD. 26-28 September.
• 8th European Vertebrate Pest Management Conference. Berlin, Germany 26-30 September.
• 38th Natural Areas Conference: Adaptation and protection of biodiversity in a changing world. Tallahassee, Florida, USA, 1-4 November 2011.
• HWCC Conflict training: Analyzing and Transforming Conflict to Create Sustainable Solutions for People and Wildlife. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, The Big Island, Hawaii, 1-4 November.
• 18th Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society. The Big Island, Hawaii 5-10 November.
• Ecological Society of Australia annual conference. Hobart, Tasmania. 21-25 November.
• Biolief: Biological Invasions and Ecosystem Functioning. Mar del Plata, Argentina, 21-24 November.
• International Congress for Conservation Biology. Auckland, New Zealand 5-9 December.

Welcome to issue 187 of Feral Flyer.

Send the Feral Flyer to your friends. They can subscribe directly by clicking here.

End of an era as Di Holloway retires

A cast of IA CRC staff past and present gathered in Canberra before Easter for a dinner to farewell Diane Holloway, who has retired after 8 years with the organisation. Di joined the Pest Animal Control CRC as Executive Assistant in 2003 and has been an integral part of the team.

For many years she has been the first point of contact for the public, and the glue that held the head-office together. She always knew what was going on, where people were, and where they were supposed to be – no mean feat with so many researchers and partners spread all over the country!

We all miss her immensely and wish her well for the future. No doubt she and her husband David have many camping trips planned.

Fittingly, Di will have the last word:

“Thank you very much to the people who were able to attend the dinner for me on 12 April. Thanks also to those who weren’t able to come but sent their best wishes and contributed to the gift. I am very sorry that ill health has prevented me from being there at the end of the CRC (or the beginning of a new CRC extension). However I am sure you all know that I will always support efforts in pest animal eradication and will enjoy reading about your own efforts.I cherish my time working with you and members of our Board. I felt humble to have been a small part of such a talented and dedicated team”  Di Holloway.

New MynaScan and CamelScan websites launched this week

At an Indian myna bird workshop in Ballarat this week, the IA CRC and NSW Department of Primary Industries announced the release of the third community pest animal mapping website under the FeralScan program.

MynaScan is a new website for landholders, communities, pest controllers and local government to map sightings of introduced myna birds, record the damage they are causing, and record any control activities in their local area. This information will help to contain and control myna bird populations.

With support of the community-led Canberra Indian Myna Action Group, MynaScan is set to provide a valuable resource for established community groups as well as formalise community action at the frontier of the expanding myna distribution.

Also launched this week in a partnership between IA CRC and the Australian Feral Camel Management Project was the CamelScan website for mapping feral camels and the damage they cause. An estimated 1 million feral camels roam over 3 million square km of Australia, and CamelScan will help to keep track of where populations are and what problems they are causing.

The websites empower community and government users with the capacity to detect and control known populations, and bring key stakeholders together.

The new websites complement RabbitScan (relaunched in January) which has recently received its 4000th record) and FoxScan (launched in April) which already has over 600 community sighting records.

To find out more, or map these pests in your area, go to www.feralscan.org.au, or contact Peter West, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Orange (peter.west@industry.nsw.gov.au)

Positions Vacant – partner organisations

Doctoral scholarship top-up: Institute for Applied Ecology
up to $10,000 per annum for first-class students
Location: Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra

Applicants for this top-up scholarship need to achieve admission to the University of Canberra (see http://www.canberra.edu.au/research-students/apply), have a project and a supervisor at the IAE. If you have a first class Honours degree from an Australian university, University of Canberra will provide you with an Australian Post Graduate Award (stipend). If you have a stipend from another source you can still apply for entry and this top-up scholarship. Competitive selection applies.

More: http://www.appliedecology.edu.au/ or contact: (IAEAdmin@canberra.edu.au) or phone 02 6201 2795.

AMRRIC Project Manager- Fulltime for 3 year project
Location: Darwin, NT

The Project Manager will be based in Darwin and work across and with 4 NT shires to implement a best practice animal management program through the employment, mentoring and training of Aboriginal animal management workers.

The primary functions will include project management, training, mentoring, capacity building, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, liaising and supervision to ensure the program’s success.

The Selection Criteria must be addressed and is available in the Job Package available on the homepage www.amrric.org or by contacting Julia Hardaker on 0428485436 or email juliah@amrric.org. All applications need to be submitted BY EMAIL and received by COB on the 27th May.

Victorian Govt reinstates fox and wild dog bounty in State budget

The Victorian Coalition Government has allocated $4 million over the next four years to reinstate a fox and wild dog bounty.

Minister for Agriculture and Food Security Peter Walsh said the 2011-12 Victorian Budget funding delivered a key commitment and would provide hunters with $50 for each wild dog and $10 for each fox they kill.

Links:

• read full media release (Vic Govt)
• Foxes the big loser in the Victorian Budget (ABC rural Victoria)
• NSW Farmers Association applauds Victorian fox and wild dog bounty (ABC Rural NSW)
• Bounty to outfox vermin (Weekly Times)

IA CRC Balanced Scientist Program: Scott van Barneveld

Scott van Barneveld from the University of Sydney has submitted his PhD thesis “Invasive Species, endemic species and geographic distributions”. By comparing a group of invasive and non-invasive Australian lizards Scott was able to determine what traits help a species become invasive. His research shows how invasive success in “cold-blooded” (ectothermic) animals such as lizards is a result of broad physiological tolerances and bold behaviour. Without a combination of these traits it is unlikely that a reptile will become invasive. His findings allow more effective targeting of prevention and detection measures against potential invaders.

Scott found the IA CRC’s Balanced Scientist Program a positively rewarding experience. By providing training across a range of disciplines the IA CRC promoted outstanding professional development skills and Scott believes this program is unrivaled in his experience as a PhD student. Of particular worth to Scott were the opportunities provided to interact with people working on the cutting edge of invasive species research. Scott says “In addition to the excellent training and mentorship provided within the IA CRC Balanced Scientist Program, the people who make up the IA CRC are a wonderful group to be involved with”.

Scott is now working as a Senior Ecologist with WorleyParsons in Brisbane to help manage invasive animals and promote native biodiversity. The image at right shows Scott with a carpet python on the north coast of NSW during his PhD fieldwork.

Link: Profile on IA CRC website: www.invasiveanimals.com/about-us/people/students/scott-van-barneveld/

New on www.feral.org.au

Pacific Rat Animal Pest Alert

National Animal Pest Alerts highlight the risks posed by emerging pests. The alert brochures were produced with support from the Australian Government’s Australian Pest Animal Management Program administered by the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics – Bureau of Rural Sciences.

There is a great reliance on the public to report these alert species or other unusual animals and birds seen in the wild – any sightings should be reported to the nearest relevant government department or wildlife authority on Freecall 1800 084 881 so that appropriate action can be taken.

The Pacific Rat (Rattus exulans) is also known as the Kiore, or Polynesian or Maori Rat. It is not indigenous to Australia but has established populations in the wild on islands here and elsewhere in Asia and the South Pacific. It is closely associated with human settlement and is often accidentally transported to new areas by people.

Links:

• http://www.feral.org.au/tag/national-animal-pest-alert/
• Media release from WA Department of Agriculture and Food

Humaneness Assessments of pest control methods

The ‘humaneness’ of a pest animal control method refers to the overall welfare impact that the method has on an individual animal. A relatively more humane method will have less impact than a relatively less humane method.

A model for assessing the relative humaneness of pest animal control methods (Sharp and Saunders, 2008) has been developed under the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy (AAWS). This model has been used to assess the humaneness of a variety of methods used to control pest animal species in Australia.

Assessments of control methods for foxes, feral cats, pest birds and feral horses are now available. Assessments for control methods for other pest species will be added in the future.

Link: http://www.feral.org.au/animal-welfare/humaneness-assessment/

Cane Toads: the conquest

CANE TOADS: THE CONQUEST will be released nationally by Pinnacle Films on June 2. The film is a comic yet provocative account of Australia’s most notorious environmental blunder.

Filmmaker Mark Lewis (Cane Toads: An Unnatural History, The Natural History of the Chicken) explores one of Australia’s greatest environmental catastrophes as he follows the unstoppable march of the cane toad across the Australian continent. Despised by many, venerated by some, the toad has occupied a nation’s consciousness achieving both cult and criminal status.

Despite its international origin the cane toad has become uniquely Australian – yet, for a world wrestling with the idea that we have irretrievably altered our own ecosystem, its story holds universal relevance. Featuring a host of engaging characters as well as thousands of toads, Cane Toads: The Conquest is a humorous yet thought-provoking journey into the issue of invasive species.

More info & watch the trailer: http://www.canetoadstheconquest.com/index.html

Conference and training course updates

Australasian Vertebrate Pest Conference
This conference is now less than two months away and the program is currently being finalised. If you haven’t registered yet you can do so online. Sponsorship is also open. See http://www.avpc.net.au/index.html.

European Vertebrate Pest Management Conference
May 15 is the closing date for abstracts for this conference to be held in Berlin in September. See http://www.evpmc.org/.

Human Wildlife Conflict Collaboration: Conflict Training course
HWCC’s collaborative learning process addresses the theory, principles and practice of transforming complex conservation conflicts. Participants will draw on best practices from both conservation and identity-based (deep-rooted) conflict resolution, and as such will improve their capacity to analyze complex conflict dynamics, anticipate and address conflicts as they arise, and address long-standing conflicts that may impede new progress. More Information http://www.humanwildlifeconflict.org/Training.htm

New Publications

Scientific Papers

Iadine Chadès, Tara G. Martin, Samuel Nicol, Mark A. Burgman, Hugh P. Possingham, and Yvonne M. Buckley General rules for managing and surveying networks of pests, diseases, and endangered species PNAS 2011 doi: 1016846108v1-201016846. PNAS, May 2, 2011 (online early)

Hartigan A, Fiala I, Dyková I, Jirků M, Okimoto B, et al. 2011. A Suspected Parasite Spill-Back of Two Novel Myxidium spp. (Myxosporea) Causing Disease in Australian Endemic Frogs Found in the Invasive Cane Toad. PLoS ONE 6(4): e18871. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0018871

The Spring 2011 issue of Wildlife Professional (magazine produced by the Wildlife Society) contains a suite of articles about feral cats, trap neuter and release (TNR) programs for them, and their impacts on wildlife populations and health, human health and some of the welfare issues concerning the cats themselves. They include “Pick One: Outdoor Cats or Conservation” by N. Dauphine and R. Cooper, “Incompatible Neighbors in the Florida Keys” by P. J. Hatley, “Follow the Money: The Economics of TNR Advocacy” by N. Dauphine, “Cats as Carriers of Disease” by R. Gerhold, “The Trickle Down Effect” by D. Jessup and M. Miller, “By Land and Sea” by S. Hess,” An Issue with All-Too-Human Dimensions” by Lepczyk, Heezik and Cooper and “A New Zealand Perspec-tive” by Y. Heezik.
Available at http://wildlifeprofessional.org/Documents/cat_package.pdf

Media round-up

Exotic fish species threatening waterways

Canberra’s creeks, rivers and lakes are playing host to a growing number of exotic fish species with predatory natures that threaten the region’s native fish., according to ACT Government scientists. [ More ]

Community attitudes on responsible cat ownership surveyed

The ACT Government will soon commence a survey of around 1,200 residents to gather community attitudes on responsible cat ownership, Chief Minister and Minister for Territory and Municipal Services, Jon Stanhope, said today. [ More ]

Farmers at risk of mouse borne disease

A rare mouse borne disease has been confirmed in western New South Wales, prompting a warning from health authorities. [ More ]

Pig hunts may get the bullet over use of dogs

THE Game Council of NSW is calling for volunteers to use dogs to hunt feral pigs in state forests, but the practice appears to break state government animal cruelty guidelines. [ More ]

Prices climb but dogs hold back Qld’s sheep flock expansion

Wild dog attacks are putting a lot of Queensland farmers off expanding their sheep flocks even though the price of lamb and mutton in the shops is at near-record levels and wool is also riding high. [ More ]

Have you seen any feral camels lately?

Australians travelling in the Outback have been urged to report any feral camels they see to assist a nationwide campaign to limit the damage caused by over a million feral camels across the inland. [ More ]

Help out with rabbit research

BUNNIES post-Easter have a new role – in research. [ More ]

Farmers seeing success of baiting program

Wild dogs have caused huge stock losses in parts of Gippsland and south-east New South Wales, with increasing frequency in recent years. [ More ]

Three new weapons against wild dogs

The Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre say alternatives to 1080 baits to control wild dogs may be on the market by the end of the year. [ More ]

Landholders can hunt for fox data

A new website was launched recently sharing information about the location and damage caused by the fox population. [ More ]

Farm ravaged by wild dogs

BOB KERLE has fought tirelessly during the past few years trying to combat the increasing number of wild dogs that ravage his property and animals almost weekly. [ More ]

Bunny shoot ‘won’t solve problem’

Central Otago farmers plagued by rabbits will make use of the 20th Easter Bunny Hunt next weekend, but say the competition will do little to solve the problem. [ More ]

Rabbits scientists’ bunnies

Residents who come across a recently dead rabbit are asked to contribute the carcass or liver to help researchers gain the upper hand in the biological warfare on the ferals. [ More ]

Dingoes dig in

In remote pockets of bushland, dingoes are digging dens in sandy hollows, under rocky overhangs and beneath fallen logs preparing for the arrival of this year’s puppies. [ 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

• Invasive Species in a Globalized World. University of Chicago, USA, 11-13 May.
• CRCA 2011: Keeping Ahead of the Curve. Brisbane, QLD, 17-19 May.
• 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.
• 6th Annual Society for Risk Analysis Conference, Brisbane, QLD. 26-28 September.
• 8th European Vertebrate Pest Management Conference. Berlin, Germany 26-30 September.
• 38th Natural Areas Conference: Adaptation and protection of biodiversity in a changing world. Tallahassee, Florida, USA, 1-4 November 2011.
• HWCC Conflict training: Analyzing and Transforming Conflict to Create Sustainable Solutions for People and Wildlife. Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, The Big Island, Hawaii, 1-4 November.
• 18th Annual Conference of The Wildlife Society. The Big Island, Hawaii 5-10 November.
• Ecological Society of Australia annual conference. Hobart, Tasmania. 21-25 November.
• Biolief: Biological Invasions and Ecosystem Functioning. Mar del Plata, Argentina, 21-24 November.
• International Congress for Conservation Biology. Auckland, New Zealand 5-9 December.

Welcome to issue 183 of Feral Flyer.

Send the Feral Flyer to your friends. They can subscribe directly by clicking here.

IA CRC welcomes a new Communications Manager, Tracey Lianos

Tracey Lianos started with the IA CRC this week as our new Communications Manager. Tracey comes to us from her role of Director, Communications in the newly formed Department of Regional Australia. She has previously held similar positions at Safe Work Australia and the Murray-Darling Basin Commission.

Tracey also has experience in public affairs at ACT and Commonwealth levels, has worked as a policy/media adviser for ACT politicians and has written for the Weekly Times and The Land. She will be a valuable addition to the team and we all look forward to working with her.

Tracey is based in the CRC’s head office in Canberra and will be the contact point for all media inquiries. She can be contacted on ph:02 6201-2890 or email: tracey.lianos@invasiveanimals.com. Please drop her a line and say hello!

Latest islandNet newsletter now online

The February edition of the islandNet newsletter is now available online. The islandNet network was recently established by the IA CRC with funding support from the Australian Department of Environment, Water, Heritage and the Arts (DEWHA), primarily to help facilitate the conservation management of Australia’s offshore islands.

This issue features updates on projects on Australian islands (Macquarie, Muttonbird and Tasmania); articles on eradication projects on international islands (Taranga, Mexico, Seychelles); and a feature article on Appreciating eradications from a tourist’s perspective — a visit to Antarctic islands.

Link: For more information and to download the newsletter, please visit http://www.feral.org.au/islandnet/newsletter/.

Review of Caring for our Country

The review of the Caring for our Country initiative has commenced. The review will look at the effectiveness of the program, achievements to date and will explore options for natural resource management delivery in the future.

An important part of the review will be consulting with Australia’s natural resource management stakeholders. The views and experiences of our partners and stakeholders are an essential part of informing the review and will help identify program improvements that are practical and focused.

In addition, specific feedback from the recipients and applicants of Caring for our Country funding about the outcomes of investments will help tell the Caring for our Country story and inform the review.

A public discussion paper is now available to start the ball rolling. Submissions are invited until 20 May 2011.

For more information or to find out how you can make a submission, please see: http://www.nrm.gov.au/review/index.html.

HopStop launched for cane toad control

Cane toads are now in in plague proportions, with more than 200 million cane toads ranging across Queensland, the Northern Territory, northern New South Wales and northern Western Australia.

Alarmingly, cane toads have now also invaded residential areas, attracted to insects under lights and well-watered lawns in domestic settings. It is estimated that about 1.4 million Australian households are currently co-habited by cane toads and are threatening families including small children and pets.

CRC Participant company Pestat Pty Ltd has launched a safe and easy approach to managing the cane toad scourge in domestic settings.

“HopStop® provides the first safe, humane and convenient method for controlling cane toads,” explains Dr. David Dall, Pestat Managing Director. “It has been designed for use in urban and suburban settings to protect local native fauna and provide peace of mind to pet owners and families.”

Links:

• HopStop Media Release, February 2011 [120kb PDF]
• Pestat website: http://www.pestat.com.au/html/products.htm

PhD Opportunity: acoustic biology of cane toads

The School of Marine and Tropical Biology at James Cook University, Townsville has a 3-year ARC-Linkage funded project available to study the acoustic biology of cane toads, examining geographic variation in mating calls, causes of chorus formation, and sexual selection.

Top-up scholarship support is available through this grant.

If interested, please contact:

Lin Schwarzkopf, Associate Professor
School of Marine and Tropical Biology
James Cook University, Townsville QLD 4811 AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 7 4781 5467  Mob: 0417201256  Fax: +61 7 47251570
Email: lin.schwarzkopf@jcu.edu.au Web: www.jcu.edu.au/mtb

New report: Priority threat management to protect Kimberley wildlife

This report details the science on prioritising threat management for Kimberley wildlife. CSIRO Ecosystem Sciences was commissioned by The Wilderness Society on behalf of the WildCountry Science Council to carry out this research. The WildCountry Science Council, a group of Australian and international ecological scientists, provides independent advice to The Wilderness Society.

CSIRO worked in collaboration with the co-authors listed on this report and with the assistance of many others who have generously shared their time, knowledge and expertise to provide data and comment on the report. The report has been formally peer-reviewed both internally and externally to CSIRO.

It identifies feral cat control as a priority action and suggests this be done through decreased dingo control combined with compensation for landholders for stock losses and damage (pg.30).

Authors: Josie Carwardine, Trudy O’Connor, Sarah Legge, Brendan Mackey, Hugh Possingham, Tara Martin.

The report is available online at http://www.csiro.au/files/files/pzk8.pdf.

Media round-up

Wild dogs cost $18m

WILD dogs are costing Victorian farmers $18 million a year, according to a report released today. [ More ]

Mice munch rice

Increasing numbers of mice are threatening the Riverina’s rice crop. [ More ]

Research rabbits wanted

Easter is still some time away but farmers are asked to watch out for rabbits.  [  More ]

All for one to boost lambs

The key to better lambing percentages could be as simple as calling your neighbours.   [  More ]

Report reveals high cost of feral animals in Victoria

Wild dog and fox attacks cost Victorian farmers $18 million a year. [ More ]

Cane toad pest spray

Cane toads are Australia’s biggest pest and their deadly poison can kill a domestic pet in minutes, but there is now a product that works just like a fly spray to eradicate them. [ More ]

‘It’s a bug spray for toads’

Could the cane toad’s days be numbered? [ More ]

Spray will make cane toads croak

A SMALL Canberra bio-tech company has developed a household aerosol that will kill cane toads in less than a minute. [ More ]

Coordination increases lamb survival

A NEW study has predicted that farmers who participate in coordinated fox baiting programs with their neighbours could increase lamb survival rates by up to 20 per cent. [ More ]

VFF to discuss recent wild dog report

VFF to discuss recent wild dog report with East Gippsland farmers [ More ]

What a bunny bummer!

THE time is ripe for Nillumbik landowners to strike rabbit populations as increased reports of disease outbreaks roll in. [ 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

• 14th Wildlife Damage Management Conference. Nebraska City, USA, 17-22 April.
• CRCA 2011: Keeping Ahead of the Curve. Brisbane, QLD, 17-19 May.
• 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.
• 38th Natural Areas Conference: Adaptation and protection of biodiversity in a changing world. Tallahassee, Florida, USA, 1-4 November 2011.
• Ecological Society of Australia annual conference. Hobart, Tasmania. 21-25 November.
• 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.

Welcome to issue 178 of Feral Flyer.

Send the Feral Flyer to your friends. They can subscribe directly by clicking here.

In memory of Professor Frank Fenner

Frank Fenner AC, MBE, passed away last Monday 22 November aged 95. He has made invaluable contributions to the science of invasive animal management, particularly his eminent work in the control of Australia’s rabbit plagues. He had an active interest and involvement in the work of the CRC and will continue to be seen as a patron of our organisation. His warmth, encouragement, humanity and enthusiasm will be sorely missed.

We thank Dr. Brian Cooke for providing the following tribute for Feral Flyer:

Frank Fenner was a great mentor and a friend of mine although I only got to know him well some time after we moved to Canberra in 1995. I saw him quite often at meetings and shared some evenings together when he and Bunny Fennessy came around for dinner. Frank and I also travelled together by car to attend a conference in Armidale. This meant that I had two wonderful, intense days of conversation about life in general. This included insights into Frank’s early life, his father’s influence on his wide interest in biology and earth sciences, as well as his war-time experiences and his own mentors such as Mcfarlane Burnet.

Frank was one of those rare people who became a legend in his own life-time yet remained un-affected by it. He always remained the quiet, approachable scientist and that was why he was known and fondly thought of by so many people. On having lunch with him on occasion at the ANU there was always a constant stream of passers-by saying “Hello Frank” – and he would always relate something about each person and what they were doing after they had passed by.

He will be missed because he was one of the people who provided us with a cohesive picture of how viruses work. This included showing how myxomatisis did its job and insights into changes in virus virulence and rabbit resistance to that disease. We are now using this same basic framework to help us understand how rabbits are developing resistance to RHD and look at how virus virulence might change in the future.

Frank Fenner promoted science and intellectual interest in pest control by descibing what he saw as co-evolution of a virus with its host instead of just ‘getting rid of rabbits’. In doing that he also paved the way for a deeper understanding of the epidemiology of human diseases such as small pox and was able to lead efforts that eventually led to its eradication globally.

On more than one occasion Frank said to me that he would not like to be a scientist in today’s tough environment of chasing money and tailoring research to fit government research policies. Yet perhaps there is a hidden message in these comments. If research is done on a sufficiently high intellectual level perhaps there is less need to justify its usefulness. Benefits can be seen well enough by even the most hard-nosed bureaucrats to ensure continued support.

HogHopper^TM launched

Over 50 people attended the launch of the HogHopper^TM – a new bait delivery system for management of feral pigs – yesterday at the Australasian Wildlife Management Conference in Torquay, Victoria.

Project officer, Jason Wishart, was on hand to give a demonstration of how the device works and talk about the results he has had with trials of the device in diverse areas of feral pig habitat around Australia.

“The HogHopper™ offers peace-of-mind feral pig bait deliver for land managers in a durable but lightweight device that only feral pigs can access,” said Uptake program leader, Steve Lapidge. “There has been a lot of interest in the HogHopper^TM and numerous orders for it were taken at the launch”

The hopper has been developed over the last two years with the financial support of the Australian Pest Animal Management Program. The units will be on sale through IA CRC commercial partner Animal Control Technologies Australia and pre-orders are now being taken.

More information and pre-orders: http://www.animalcontrol.com.au/

New restrictions on dog and fox imports to Tasmania

Anyone wishing to bring fox or dog scats into Tasmania will require a permit from today. Chief Veterinary Officer Rod Andrewartha said although there is little reason for scats to be imported, other than for use in trial work and detector dog training associated with the Fox Eradication Program, the permit requirement would further enhance biosecurity.

“The research and detector dog training by the Fox Eradication Program (FEP) has been carried out with good biosecurity practices and has not compromised Tasmania’s freedom from hydatid disease,” Dr Andrewartha said.

“Because of the measures the FEP has in place and the necessity for its work it will be able to continue under the permit system.

Dr Andrewartha said the permit requirement would further assist the State’s Quarantine Services who would continue to be on the lookout for fox and fox product.

Links:

• Full media release – Tas Chief Veterinary Officer
• Fox Eradication Program
  

Churchill Trust Fellowships: applications open

The aim of the Trust is to provide an opportunity for Australians to travel overseas to conduct research in their chosen field that is not readily available in Australia. It also aims to reward proven achievement of talented and deserving Australians with further opportunity in their pursuit of excellence for the enrichment of Australian society.

Applications for 2011 Fellowships opened on Monday 1 November 2010 and close on Monday 28 February 2011.

If you would like further assistance or to request a printed application form to be posted to you please contact the National Office on: email info@churchilltrust.com.au.

More details can be found at the website: http://www.churchilltrust.com.au/about/the-trust/

New Publications

Reports

Brown M and Munckton C (2010) Scoping Study: Training and Capacity Building in Vertebrate Pest Management. Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, Canberra. ISBN: 978-1-921777-05-9.

In response to a perceived reduction in appropriate vertebrate pest management training over the past decade — which is impacting on the capacity of agencies to appropriately manage the damage these animals cause — the Training Working Group of the National Vertebrate Pests Committee (VPC) initiated this scoping study into past and present pest animal training and capacity building. The Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre (IA CRC) provided funding for this study through its Education program.

The study has identified significant variation in the content and modes of delivery of vertebrate pest management training across Australia.

Scientific Papers

Sutherland, D.R., Glen, A.S., and de Tores, P.J. (2010). Could controlling mammalian carnivores lead to mesopredator release of carnivorous reptiles? Proc R Soc B. Published online before print December 1, 2010.

Media round-up

MY WORKING LIFE – Dr Tarnya Cox, pest management

Dr Tarnya Cox (pictured right)  recently moved to Orange from Brisbane to take up a role with the RHD Boost project team, where she will develop a monitoring and evaluation plan for new strains of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV). [ More ]

All creatures great and stuffed

ANYONE hoping to own a penguin, fox, badger, green turtle or cobra will have their chance this week as a major private collection of stuffed animals goes up for sale at Gowans Auctions on Friday. [ More ]

Ban on fox scats a welcome move for Tasmanian biosecurity

The Tasmanian Liberals welcome the belated move by the State Government that will see anyone wishing to bring fox or dog scats into Tasmania being required to obtain a permit to do so.  [  More ]

Feral pigs on notice

FARMERS now have the tool to wipe out feral pigs for good.   [  More ]

New trap targets feral pigs in the Top End

A new bait and trap system, known as the Hog Hopper, could soon see feral pig numbers across the Top End greatly reduced.  [  More ]

DEC confident $1million will fix land management problems

The Department of Environment and Conservation in Western Australia will spend an extra million dollars a year in an effort to improve its much criticised management of former pastoral leases.  [  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.

2010

• Australasian Wildlife Management Society 2010 Conference. Torquay, Victoria. 1-3 December.
• Ecological Society of Australia 2010 Annual Conference. Australian National University, Canberra, 6-10 December.
• International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies. Honolulu, Hawaii, 15-20 December.

2011

• 2nd International Invasive Birds Conference. Cape Town, South Africa, 7-9 March 2011.
• 15th Australasian Vertebrate Pest Conference. Sydney, Australia, 20-23 June 2011.
• Biolief: Biological Invasions and Ecosystem Functioning. Mar del Plata, Argentina, 21-24 November 2011.
• International Congress for Conservation Biology. Christchurch, New Zealand 29 November-2 December.

Welcome to issue 176 of Feral Flyer.

Send the Feral Flyer to your friends. They can subscribe directly by clicking here.

Wild dog ecology unit on offer in 2011: University of New England

Dr Wendy Brown (University of New England, Armidale, NSW) with assistance from Dr Peter Fleming and Dr Guy Ballard from the Invasive Animals CRC’s Wild Dog Demonstration Site will offer a tertiary level course in Wild Dog Ecology for the first time in 2011.

University of New England students, from a range of Science degrees, will be able to undertake a semester long course in the theory, and practical aspects, of wild dog ecology and management. Practical elements of the project, including an intensive field school, will be linked to the research and monitoring activities of the IA CRC Wild Dog Demonstration Site run by Industry & Investment NSW.

Links:

• Course information: http://www.une.edu.au/courses/2011/units/CANI310
• Wild dog demonstration site project page

Australia’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy, 2010-2030 launched

The Natural Resource Management Ministerial Council, represented by Ministers from all state and territory governments and the Australian Government, has endorsed for public release Australia’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010-2030.

The release of the Strategy coincides with 2010 being the United Nations International Year of Biodiversity, in which the world is invited to take action to safeguard the variety of life on Earth; its biodiversity. The Strategy is a significant national policy document that will guide how governments, the community, industry and scientists manage and protect Australia’s plants, animals and ecosystems over the next twenty years.

Australia’s Biodiversity Conservation Strategy 2010–2030 sets 10 targets to measure the nation’s progress in protecting our natural environment. This includes a five year target: “By 2015, reduce by at least 10% the impacts of invasive species on threatened species and ecological communities in terrestrial, aquatic and marine environments.” The strategy sets a new standard for addressing the challenges facing our biodiversity, with Australia now one of very few countries to have committed to national measurable targets for biodiversity conservation.

The strategy’s three priorities: ‘Engaging all Australians’, ‘Building ecosystem resilience in a changing climate’, and ‘Getting measurable results’ are supported by clear outcomes and measurable targets.

More information: http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/strategy/index.html

Diploma course student forging ahead

Bill Crisp graduated from the Invasive Animals CRC-supported Diploma course in Conservation and Land Management two years ago. He is now working with an Aboriginal community developing a large scale program to manage the damage due to foxes and wild dogs near Ningaloo Reef WA. The program is being coordinated with the local pastoralists, CALM WA, Agriculture and Food WA and local mining interests – which are huge in the area.

“It’s good to see that Bill is putting into practice the knowledge that he obtained through the course,” said Mike Braysher, course coordinator.

Links:

• Article taken from Midwest Times
• Diploma of Conservation and Land Management
  

Partner organisation employment opportunities

Several positions are currently being offered at various Partner organisations to the IA CRC.

Animal Control Technologies (Aust) Pty Ltd (ACTA):

Development & Regulatory Manager
Location: Melbourne.  Applications close: 14 November 2010

ACTA is seeking to appoint a motivated, experienced and well organised professional to manage and implement product development and registrations of the company’s expanding range of products.

Proven excellence in R&D within the scientific fields of biology, agriculture or wildlife conservation including, excellent communication, presentation, planning, time management and data processing skills are crucial for success in this role. As a member of this highly motivated team, you will have initiative and the ability to work autonomously with a flair for commercial focus. This position requires considerable interstate travel and some international travel.

LINK: more information and Key Selection Criteria

Area Sales Manager (2 positions available)
Position 1: New South Wales Position 2: Queensland/Northern Territory
Applications close: 14 November 2010

ACTA is seeking to appoint two motivated and experienced sales professionals to present the company’s expanding range of products to producers, distributors, local government, regional councils and influencers throughout New South Wales and Queensland/Northern Territory.

Excellent communication, presentation, planning & time management skills are crucial for success in these roles. As a member of this highly motivated team, you will have initiative and the ability to work autonomously. This position requires considerable travel and nights away from home.

LINK: more information and Key Selection Criteria

This colorful and useful report is largely based on an expert workshop held in 2008 at the University of Notre Dame, but the CBD report includes much additional information beyond what was covered in that workshop.

Department of Agriculture and Food, WA (DAFWA):

Research Officer, Vertebrate Pest Research
Location: Forrestfield, WA.  Applications close: 15 November 2010

The key challenge of the position will be to design, implement, fund and undertake research, and report the results to all stakeholders. The position will also play an important role in providing advice to many internal and external stakeholders.

The researcher will be responsible for developing innovative methods for the management of vertebrate pests. This involves leading research projects or being a key part of collaborative projects. The researcher will take on a key role for providing research and policy support on species including rabbits, foxes and wild dogs, as well as other species. Further, the position will take a key role in the research, development and extension of vertebrate pesticides.

LINK: more information and Key Selection Criteria

Landcare Research, NZ:

Scientist, Vertebrate Pest Control
Location: Lincoln, Christchurch, New Zealand.  Applications close: 1 December 2010

We are seeking an early to mid-career Scientist to undertake research on the biology and behaviour of vertebrate pests in New Zealand, and the technologies used to control them.

Ideally you will posses a PhD in biology/zoology or ecology with experience in invasive species biology, population dynamics and control technologies, with sound quantitative skills. An interest in applied research focussed on optimal control strategies is essential.

LINK: more information and Key Selection Criteria

National pest alerts on feral.org.au

The Canada goose, Red-whiskered bulbul and Barbary dove are targeted as possible emerging pest species in Australia, in a series of Animal Pest Alert brochures.

The alert brochures were produced with support of the Australian Government’s Bureau of Rural Sciences and are endorsed by the national Vertebrate Pests Committee and relevant state and territory authorities. The four page colour brochures feature images and detailed descriptions of the pests, and information on their biosecurity, distribution, biology and risk management.

The Animal Pest Alerts are available both on www.feral.org.au and the WA Department of Agriculture and Food websites (including six previous published alerts on Indian ringneck parakeet, house crow, common myna, rusa deer, ferret and red-eared slider turtle.) A further 3 alerts are due for publication in early 2011; on Pacific rat, combined deer on Sambar, White-tailed and Hog deer, and combined squirrel on northern palm squirrel and grey squirrel

Wildlife Genetics course

The CRC, in conjunction with the Institute for Applied Ecology at the University of Canberra, ran its first short course in Wildlife Genetics on October 7th and 8th. The course was part of the Detection & Prevention Program’s National Genotyping Facility project. Participants included wildlife managers, ecologists and students from the ACT, Victoria and Tasmania.

The instructors are wildlife genetics researchers from the University of Canberra. The aim was to keep the course relatively informal, personal and interactive and this approach worked very well, leading to a series of interesting discussions and the development of ideas for future wildlife genetics projects. Lectures and tutorials focused on an introduction to the relevant laboratory methods and genetic markers, things to consider when planning and sampling for a genetics study, and the interpretation of genetic data from a wildlife management perspective.

Feedback from participants was positive and included a number of useful suggestions for future course development — thanks to all involved! We anticipate that this course will run again next year, and hope that it will become a regular event.

For further information, please contact Dr Anna MacDonald (Anna.MacDonald@canberra.edu.au).

Indian mynas – community trapping program removes 32,000 birds

For those interested in the control of Indian mynas (Acridotheres tristis), you might like to go to the following web link to view a news article on the community control efforts in Canberra, Australia, where 32,000 birds have now been removed in a community trapping program.

This has taken this pest bird from being the 3rd most commonly sighted in the Canberra annual bird survey, to the 14th most common.

Link: http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2010/10/29/3052470.htm – ABC Stateline ACT. Video and transcript available.

New Publications

Scientific paper

Sutherland, D.R. and Predavec, M. (2010). Universal Trap Timer Design to Examine Temporal Activity of Wildlife. Journal of Wildlife Management, 74(4):906–909.

Reports

Karen Varnham (2010). Invasive rats on tropical islands: Their history, ecology, impacts and eradication. Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Sandy, Bedfordshire, UK. ISBN 978-1-905601-28-8.

“From their original ranges in Asia, black and brown rats (R. rattus and R. norvegicus) are now present across much of the world, including many island groups. They are among the most widespread and damaging invasive mammalian species in the world, known to cause significant ecological damage to a wide range of plant and animal species. Whilst their distribution is now global, this report focuses on their occurrence, ecology and impact within the tropics and reviews key factors relating to the eradication of these species from tropical islands based on both eradication successes and failures.”

Media round-up

Jessica helps Australia Get PestSmart

Industry and Investment (I&I) NSW has been working with pest animal controllers, farmers and the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre (CRC) to deliver a new pest management package – the Get PestSmart toolkit. Natural resource management liaison officer, Jessica Marsh (pictured right), said the project aims to deliver a one-stop-shop which can be used across Australia to better manage wild dogs, pigs, foxes, rabbits and other pest animals.  [  More ]

New research role to boost rabbit control

Efforts to reduce the destructive impact of rabbits have been enhanced with the appointment by Industry & Investment (I&I) NSW of research scientist Tarnya Cox to develop monitoring and release strategies for new strains of rabbit haemorrhagic disease virus (RHDV).   [  More ]

Female carp lure males to trap

Researchers are using carp’s sensitive sense of smell as one of the latest weapons against them as part of the “River Revival – Lachlan River Carp Cleanup” program.  [  More ]

Coalition to set up game authority

A VICTORIAN Coalition Government would establish an authority to co-ordinate conservation and game management efforts.  [  More  ]

Watch out: Roos on the run

Landowners and kangaroos are increasingly coming into contact in Melbourne’s north-eastern suburbs, and the roos often come off second best. Farmers say they cause damage, but conservationists want them saved.  [  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.

2010

• Australasian Wildlife Management Society 2010 Conference. Torquay, Victoria. 1-3 December.
• Ecological Society of Australia 2010 Annual Conference. Australian National University, Canberra, 6-10 December.
• International Chemical Congress of Pacific Basin Societies. Honolulu, Hawaii, 15-20 December.

2011

• 2nd International Invasive Birds Conference. Cape Town, South Africa, 7-9 March 2011.
• 15th Australasian Vertebrate Pest Conference. Sydney, Australia, 20-23 June 2011.
• Biolief: Biological Invasions and Ecosystem Functioning. Mar del Plata, Argentina, 21-24 November 2011.
• International Congress for Conservation Biology. Christchurch, New Zealand 29 November-2 December.

Aim: To provide draft advice to the Threatened Species Scientific Committee on research and developments.

 Project: 5.t.5e

Project summary

Research is rapidly advancing our knowledge of the impact of cane toads on Australia’s environment and biodiversity. Cane toads continue to expand their range and knowledge of their impact on wildlife is import in order to best conserve at risk species. This project will review all current literature on the impact of toads on the environment (Prof. Rick Shine, the University of Sydney). The review will be published in its own right and be used to inform advice on cane toad management under the Environmental and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act).

In 2005, the then Minister for the Environment determined that cane toads should be considered a ‘Key Threatening Process’ under the EPBC Act, but that a Threat Abatement Plan would be neither feasible nor efficient. This project will provide draft advice to the Threatened Species Scientific Committee on research and developments since that time. The threatened Species Scientific Committee will then use the project information to make advice to the Minister for the Environment.

Key achievements

• Review of the Environmental Impact of Cane Toads completed and submitted for peer-reviewed publication and used as basis for advice to the Threatened Species Scientific Committee.
• Report to the Threatened Species Scientific Committee on the need and feasibility of a Threat Abatement Plan (TAP) for cane toads completed and provided.
• Advice has been accepted by the Threatened Species Scientific Committee.

Project team

Prof Tony Peacock (IA CRC), Prof Rick Shine (Uni of Sydney).

Project partners

IA CRC, University of Sydney.

Further information

Draft Cane Toad (Bufo marinus) Threat Abatement Plan

For further information, contact us.