National WEDPP Workshop reviews wildlife disease preparedness

This workshop was held by the IA CRC on 2–3 April in Canberra. It aimed to review recent research and training related to wildlife disease preparedness, and the infrastructure of the Wildlife and Exotic Disease Preparedness Program (WEDPP) in Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

Representatives from state and federal departments of agriculture and environment, universities, the Australian Wildlife Health Network, Australian Registry of Wildlife Health, the IA CRC and the Australian Biosecurity CRC attended. New Zealand’s Department of Conservation and Landcare Research were also represented.

The main outcomes of the meeting included priorities for research and training, and strong support for a national agency to coordinate research/ surveillance/ training and information management related to wildlife disease preparedness.

Priorities identified for research include: targeted disease surveillance; basic wildlife ecology including population distribution and contact rates; identifying and prioritising diseases of native species; impacts of climate / landuse change on emerging diseases; a cross-sectoral approach for managing the ecology of emerging wildlife diseases; and enhanced modelling for contingency planning. The development of a prioritisation system to identify high-risk diseases and species involved was considered essential to be able to prioritise research and funding.

Priorities for training and preparedness included the immediate review and updating of AUSVETPLAN’s Wild Animal Response Strategy, and of a list of key personnel. Regular field and desk exercises for preparing for an emergency outbreak were also recommended. Reviews of animal welfare guidelines, and of legislation relevant to wildlife health and disease outbreak (eg legality of poison deployment) were other recommendations.

The workshop was run with funding assistance from WEDPP.  The Proceedings will be available soon on our website.  A pre-workshop review of disease preparedness research in Australia is available [here].

NSW rejects listing 1080 as key threat

The NSW Threatened Species Scientific committee released its final determination on 18 April - rejecting the listing of 1080 as a 'Key Threatening process' under the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act.

To read the report, click [ here].

Farewell to Heather Lyman

Heather, who was the program coordinator for the Uptake Program, based in Adelaide, leaves us to take up a position with the Royal Adelaide Hospital, in the Nerve-gut Research laboratory at the Hanson Institute.

Heather will be greatly missed by all, and we wish her the best in her future endeavours.

All general email to the Uptake Program should now go to uptake@invasiveanimals.com.

In the interim before a new Administration Assistant/Coordinator is appointed, Keryn Lapidge will be taking over some of Heather's role.  She will be in the office part-time (usually Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, 9am to 3pm Adelaide time).   She can be contacted via the email address above or her keryn.lapidge@invasiveanimals.com  address.

'Pet' dogs: attacks on sheep and goats

Farmers are reporting that 'it is not just feral dogs or dingoes that are the culprits' in many recent reports of stock maiming and killing.  Domestic dogs left free to roam at night or abandoned, have often been implicated.  A mob of ewes and newly-born lambs was savaged at Boyup Brook (WA) in mid April.  Another flock was attacked near Yass earlier this year by a pair of boxers from a neighboring property.  In each of these instances the dog owners were vociferous in denials that their 'pets' could have been involved.   However, photographic evidence was presented to the owner of the boxers, and the animals themselves were trapped.  

Images:  the culprits, and damage from these dog attacks

Donkeys as stock guard animals

A Current Affair ran a story on Friday 2 May about the use of donkeys as stock protection animals.  The interview was filmed on the Wednesday prior at "Karrara" just outside Warwick in Queensland, where a local land owner is trialling the practise with some success.    Prior to working out a suitable ratio of one donkey to approximately 300 sheep, this property owner was suffering ongoing and savage attacks on his sheep - and the reporter was shown wethers with wounds from wild dogs, but was unable to air this graphic footage on prime time TV, but did make an effort to describe the types of injuries sheep suffer and the fact they are often eaten while still alive.

Blackall wild dog control strategies in spotlight

As printed in the Barcoo Independent, March 2008 (and Queensland Country Life): 

Meetings to begin the strategic management of wild dog numbers in the Blackall shire will be getting underway in the next couple of weeks.  Their aim is to gather information from all sectors of the community so that control can be better targeted and management plans can be developed for long-term control.

National Wild Dog Facilitator, Greg Mifsud (above left) is organising the meetings in conjunction with Agforce, the Blackall Shire Council and the Blackall Wild Dog Advisory Committee.

[rest of article by Sally Cripps]

Wild dog DNA sampling project

New initiatives have been launched to track and control the problem of wild dogs roaming across the vast areas of Queensland and Western Australia.

One of these is the WA collaborative research project undertaking a large-scale survey of wild dog DNA.  This study is focusing on movement patterns and interbreeding between domestic dogs and dingoes, and will provide valuable information to assist with wild dog control planning.  This study is a partnership between the Department of Agriculture and Food, the University of WA, the Department of Environment and Conservation, the Rangelands NRM Coordinating Group, BHP Billiton and the IA CRC.  The Department of Agriculture and Food press release can be viewed [here].

Sampling is well underway in Kalgoorlie, and will be extended to Murchison, Gascoyne, Pilbara and the Kimberley, as well as areas of the wheat belt where sheep are vulnerable to dog attacks.   

Mr Barry Davies (Chair of the National Wild Dog Facilitator Steering Committee) said that the success of the project will depend on help from pastoralists in collecting samples and sending them in to the University of WA for analysis. PhD student Danielle Stephens (left) is managing the sampling programme.

Two positions available - Australian Pest Animal Strategy

The Vertebrate Pests Committee is advertising for two positions to help implement the Australian Pest Animal Strategy.  Applications are by tender for a National Coordinator and Secretariat Services to the VPC.   The closing date is 15 May 2008 at 4pm.  To view the advertisements, visit the AusTender site.   [ link here for the Secretariat tender]  [ link here for the National Coordinator tender]

Two positions - Fox Eradication Program

The program is advertising two senior positions - Operations Manager and Section Leader, Investigations and Monitoring. 

Interested applicants should visit the jobs.tas website or contact Jodie Elmer on (03) 6336 5336 for further information.  The position descriptions can be accessed here for the [Operations Manager] and [Section Head]. 

Pest Animals Symposium 2008 - register now

The 2nd Queensland symposium will take place at the Hilton, Cairns, on 19-22 October 2008.  The theme is "Pests on the Move - pest animals in paradise" [read more].  Discount registration and abstract submissions are now available online at www.pestanimalsymposium.com.au

Papers from Fort Collins conference online

All papers from the US National Wildlife Research Centre's August 2007 "Managing Vertebrate Invasive Species" sumposium are now available online through the NWRC website [ here].

UC Seminar: Dr Tony Peacock

Tony will be giving a seminar at the University of Canberra on Tuesday May 13 at 3.30pm.   Room 6B41. 

The talk will be on 'Current Invasive Animal Incursions In Australia'.

Vertebrate incursions continue to be a major problem in Australia.  A number of species like cane toad, foxes and starlings, are expanding their ranges.  Ornamental fish continue to be a major source of new incursions.  A small number of other species may enter Australia in the future, as Canada geese have recently done. 

The University of Canberra is a major hub for research and communications in this area, with the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre (IA CRC) based at the University. 

Shine Dome Seminar: Professor Rick Shine

Latest information on potential new ways of controlling cane toads  will be presented on the 9th of May.

The rhabdias lungworm and its potential as a biocontrol, and work on using toad alarm pheromones (two IA CRC projects) will feature.

Come along to the Shine Dome, Gordon Street, Acton, Canberra to hear Rick speak.   More information can be obtained by contacting Richard Bray, Australian Academy of Science on 02 6201 9452 or email: richard.bray@science.org.au.   For more details of the research see www.canetoadsinoz.com.   The full Science at the Shine Dome program is at www.science.org.au/sats2008 .

Prime Minister's prizes for science 2008

Minister Kim Carr is encouraging scientists and science educators to nominate outstanding colleagues for this year's Prime Minister's Prizes - closing soon.   Read the release [ here].

Other events for your diary

1-4 December 2008 - International invasive bird conference - Perth.  Contact http://www.abcon.biz/iibc.htm

24-26 March 2009 - 6th International Invasive Pest Management  Symposium - Portland, Oregon, USA.  Contact: http://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/news/calendar.php