Dear [wpmlfield name="first_name"] [wpmlfield name="surname"],

Welcome to issue 172 of Feral Flyer.

Canberra labs better equipped to determine fox origins

Research to track down invasive species received a boost with the opening of new laboratory facilities at the University of Canberra last month (27 July 2010).

The Wildlife Genetics Laboratory and the new Trace DNA Lab focus on the study of Australian wildlife and many invasive species such as feral cats, foxes, deer and pigs.

The Trace DNA Lab allows scientists at the university to study samples of biological material, like scat, hair, or bone that contain only small amounts of DNA or have DNA that is degraded. To avoid contamination of samples, the lab is isolated from other buildings conducting DNA research, with its own filtered air and UV lights for complete room sterilisation.

“The new Trace DNA Lab will enhance the work the University is already doing to detect the presence of foxes in Tasmania using scats collected on the island,” said Prof Stephen Sarre, Deputy Director at the Institute for Applied Ecology at the University of Canberra.

Samples of DNA from fox remains found in Tasmania are currently held at the labs.

Prof Stephen Sarre with a storage unit that holds DNA samples in the new Wildlife Genetics Laboratory

The 2010 Federal election and invasive animal policy commitments

A summary of election policies released since the last edition of the Feral Flyer are summarised below.

The Coalition

The Liberal and National parties have announced a policy on food security. The announcement includes $20 million over four years towards a large-scale Feral Animal Control Program. A media statement is available from the shadow Minister for Agriculture's website. The agriculture policy statement is available here.

 15the AVPC Sponsor profile: Waratah - first again!

When it comes to the best steel fencing products, Waratah® is in a paddock of its own. They are part of OneSteel, a proud Australian company that’s been serving the needs of Australian farming for over 125 years. In fact their history is intimately tied with the history of vertebrate pests in Australia. It was Thomas Austin’s release of 24 wild rabbits at Barwon Park near Geelong in 1859 that led to a soaring demand for fencing products. In 1884 John Lysaght set up a mill to produce wire netting in the Sydney suburb of Five Dock, starting a heritage in quality products that continues today.

Waratah have been around long enough to know the harsh demands of the Australian climate. They are industry leaders in innovation and technology with the Waratah Longlife™ coating technology, and GalStar® Post range. Waratah fencing wire and post products are made with premium, high-grade, Australian steel – by Australians.

If you have fencing needs be sure and visit http://www.onesteelwaratah.com.au/

Future editions of the Feral Flyer will include further sponsor profiles.

John Lysaght’s factory circa 1914

Great Australian Rabbit Stories

Jen Quealy’s new book captures the stories shared in the ABC Radio competition Rabbiting On. Invasive Animals CRC Chief Executive Tony Peacock welcomes the publication: “Our CRC came up with the idea of a rabbit competition and supplied the prizes for it last year. I’m really pleased that Jenny has taken the stories further and Harper Collins is publishing the book.”

Great Australian Rabbit Stories is available for $35.00  through ABC Shops and online.

Australian Registry of Wildlife Health (ARWH) database

The ARWH database is joining the Australian Biosecurity Intelligence Network (ABIN) website.

Dr Karrie Rose of ARWH has reported on an Information Workshop held in Canberra on 4 and 5 July 2010, where stakeholders met to guide the integration of ARWH’s database into the ABIN’s network under the WildHealth Project.

“ABIN is creating a world class research infrastructure to allow us to share resources and information online to better protect the collective health of our people, livestock, aquatic animals, wildlife and plants,” said Dr Rose.

“ABIN’s System Architect, Jerry Cashman, provided an excellent discussion of the IT systems that will support the Wildhealth Community Space,” she said.

Watch for web-conference based demonstrations of the systems in early September and the launch of ABIN’s registry database, WildHealth, in October.

Click here for more information or contact Dr Karrie Rose (02) 9978 4749 email: arwh@zoo.nsw.gov.au

Feral Professor wins the Oscar of Australian Science

In the last issue of the Feral Flyer we mentioned that Professor Tony Peacock, Chief Executive Officer for the Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, was shortlisted for an Australian Museum Eureka prize.

Well, he's done it! He took out the gong for the highly contested category of ‘Promoting Understanding of Science’, sponsored by the Australian Government Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research.

"In my case, I get the privilege of talking about the work of dozens of scientists, so I’m very grateful to them for their work. I also only get the chance to do what I do because my family lets me take the time involved and lets me have my headspace occupied by feral animals so much, so the award belongs as much to Ros, Max and Sam,” said Professor Peacock.

Click here to read the IA CRC media release. Find out more about this and other prize categories here.

New publications

Feral Pigs

‘Impacts of feral pigs on tropical freshwater ecosystems’ is a Queensland Government report prepared for the Department of Environment, Water Heritage and Arts through the Australian Government’s Caring for our Country program. The results were presented by Dr Jim Mitchell QLD DPI at last week’s Pest Animal Symposium in Queensland. The report can be downloaded here.

Capacity building

‘Enabling regional pest animal control’ is an Invasive Animals CRC report prepared by Dr Lisa Robins through the Australian Pest Animal Management Program. The report examines the information needs of regional-level natural resource managers and pest animal controllers and explores the efficacy of capacity-building mechanisms. It can be downloaded here.

Fox Eradication Branch newsletter

The winter edition of the Tasmanian Fox Eradication Branch's newsletter, Eradicate, is now available. Click here to read the newsletter online. To subscribe to the newsletters and fox evidence updates, visit: http://www.dpipwe.tas.gov.au/inter.nsf/ThemeNodes/LBUN-5K438G?open

Camel project newsletter

Edition 7 of the Australian Feral Camel Management Project News has been issued.

Click here to read the newsletter online. You can subscribe to receive the newsletters on the Australian Feral Camel Project website.

FAO wants your input

Submissions are invited for a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (FAO) Consultation, Dog population management options with special emphasis on animal welfare and health, running from 13 September - 8 October 2010.

Find the agenda, application form and full details at: http://www.fao.org/AG/AGAInfo/home/documents/2010_sept_econference-Dog_population.pdf

New server and site for www.feral.org.au

If you have been experiencing technical problems when visiting or searching the pest animal database at http://www.feral.org.au/ we thank you for your patience.

We are working to upgrade this resource and while the upgrade is not fully complete, we have moved to a new server and have decided to make the new site live. We have made the switch as the problems with the old server have meant the site is unavailable more often than it is live.

Many of the links have changed, but the information you seek is still on the site. Search the reference database by clicking on the link from the homepage or go to: www.feral.org.au/search

We will keep you informed of further developments as they happen and welcome feedback to: contact@invasiveanimals.com

Toolkit branding survey results

The majority of respondents supported 'PestSmart' for the toolkits, with a couple of votes for 'PestAware' and 'PestWise'. There were also a few cheeky suggestions, such as 'PestOff'.

Over 60% of survey participants did not support the use of a verb (eg: 'Get PestSmart' or 'Be PestSmart'). While adding a verb may make the toolkit more 'action oriented', it may also imply that the audience is not already 'smart' or 'wise' to begin with.

Thanks for your input to the survey. Results help define the brand name and make sure our information toolkits hit the mark.

Diary Marker: IA CRC AGM and Participants’ Committee Meeting

Wednesday 13 October 2010
Belconnen Premier Inn, Belconnen ACT

More information about the venue and program will be published in future editions of the Feral Flyer and provided directly to IA CRC Board members and participants. Interested individuals are also welcome to attend.

Suggestions for agenda items or discussion topics are welcome: contact@invasiveanimals.com

For more information and to register your interest in attending please contact kate.lawrence@invasiveanimals.com (02) 6201 2887.

Media round-up

Scientists get down and dirty

A group of Queensland scientists is spending nights camping out surrounded by the decaying bodies of dead feral animals, all in the name of better disease control. More

Mouse plagues

IA CRC participant, Animal Control Technologies Australia, issued a media release regarding their efforts to source grain from the Eyre Peninsula and mix it with a toxin.  The issue has attracted widespread media coverage. More

Scat skeptic

A critic of the fox eradication program in Tasmania, Dr Clive Marks (former head of the Victorian Vertebrate Pest Research Department), has called for a review of the program (note that the program was reviewed late last year). More

Wild dogs making news

Greg Mifsud, the IA CRC's National Wild Dog Management Facilitator, obtained regional coverage for his efforts in assisting the development of regional wild dog management programs. Greg also received commendation from Qld Minister Tim Mulherin for winning the IA CRC Participants’ Prize. More

Promises, promises...

The coalition election promise regarding further expenditure into rural research and development and feral animal control programs has resulted in significant media coverage. More

NZ bunny boom

Escalating rabbit numbers in New Zealand has resulted in increased land damage and the waning efficacy of calicivirus has farmers resorting to more cumbersome control methods. More

Early withdrawal from Macquarie

Unseasonal weather on Macquarie Island during June and July has hampered efforts to complete aerial baiting for the Macquarie Island Pest Eradication Project and resulted in the decision to stop the baiting program for this year. More

IA CRC in the news

A selection of current media articles directly related to the IA CRC is available here: http://www.meltwaternews.com/magenta/xml/html/17/38/rss/108662_hitsentence.rss2.XML 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

• 8th International Symposium on Wild Boar & other Suids. York, England. 1st-4th September.
• 2nd National Farmers' Federation Congress. Melbourne, Australia, 5-7 September.
• Australian Rangeland Society 16th Biennial Conference. Bourke, Australia, 26-30 September.
• Australasian Wildlife Management Society Symposium. Sydney, Australia. 20-21 October.
• 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.