Bega Valley
Indicator: Pest Animals
Results for this indicator are also available for [an error occurred while processing this directive]
What the results tell us for Bega Valley
Foxes, rabbits, dingoes and wild dogs were the main pest animals in the Bega Valley Shire during the reporting period, although feral pigs, wild deer and cats were also present. This is a similar trend to the previous reporting period however, due to limitations in the current reporting period data, quantitative information to assess change in the pest animal distribution and abundance is unavailable.
Activities of five pest animals are listed as Key Threatening Process in the Bega Valley Shire. Furthermore, there are 20 priority actions to manage habitat and feral control for 16 threatened communities, populations and species listed by DECC within the Bega Valley Shire Council.
The NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change undertook control programs within the shire for pest animals however specific details on this work were unavailable for the current reporting period. DECC also have implemented an eight year plan for pest animal management, known as the ‘NSW Invasive Species Plan 2008 - 2015’.
Information detailing control programs for pest animals undertaken by the South Coast Rural Lands Protection Board are unavailable for the current reporting period.
Pest animal infestations
The more mobile pest animal species utilise a wide variety of habitat types within all land tenures. Populations of all pest animal species fluctuate with climate, seasonal conditions and the availability of local resources. Managing pest animals and their impacts is the shared responsibility of all land managers.
The Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has undertaken a spatial survey of pest animal distribution and abundance across NSW and the ACT (see About the data for more information). Department of Primary Industries (2007) Pest Animal Survey: A review of the distribution, impacts and control of invasive animals throughout NSW and the ACT, Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, Department of Primary Industries, Orange.
Six types of animal were reported to be pests in Bega Valley Shire during the reporting period: dingoes and wild dogs (Canis lupus familiaris, Canis lupus dingo and hybrids), feral pigs (Sus scrofa), foxes (Vulpes vulpes), rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and wild deer (Cervus spp, Dama dama and Axis spp) (DPI 2007). Feral goats (Capra hircus) were not reported in the Bega Valley Shire during the current reporting period. Foxes, rabbits, and wild dogs and dingoes were the most widespread animals in the Bega Valley Shire. Feral cats also cover most of the shire area in low to medium densities except for the southern regions where no data was available. The general location and abundance of these animals is shown in Table 1.
| Species | Preferred Habitats | Distribution and Density (High, Medium or Low*) |
|---|---|---|
| Dingoes and wild dogs (Canis lupus familiaris, Canis lupus dingo and hybrids) | Lands affected are mainly timbered country throughout the escarpment and coastal ranges. | Medium to Low with areas absent of dogs/ wild dingoes |
| Feral Pigs (Sus scrofa) | Timbered country in North and South West of shire; one high-density population present on partially cleared modified pastures in the south-west corner below the escarpment. | Absent to low populations with a high density pocket (10km²) |
| Fox (Vulpes vulpes) | Across the entire shire; medium and low density populations mainly occur on both cleared lands and lands surrounding urban areas and timbered country on escarpment and coastal ranges. | Low and medium density fox population |
| Rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) | Across the majority of shire except along northern boundary; occur in all habitats within shire. | Low density population across entire shire district except for a small area along the northern boundary of absence |
| Wild Deer (Cervus spp, Dama dama and Axis spp) | Predominantly in southern half of shire on escarpment and areas between the Victorian border and Eden, predominantly in heavily timbered and woodland areas interspersed with cleared land and native and modified grasslands. | Low populations throughout southern end of the shire with medium to high populations around the central west area near Nimmitabel. |
| Cat (Felis Catus) | Across the majority of the shire except for absent information in the southern tip around Nadgee Nature Reserve. | Low with a pocket of medium density in the south west of the shire. |
Source: DPI 2007, OCE 2004 (* see About the data for information detailing how densities were calculated)
Information detailing the changes in density of pest animal populations was unavailable for the current reporting period.
Pest animals as threatening processes
| Name of Threatening Process | Date of Determination |
|---|---|
| Competition and grazing by the feral European rabbit (DECC 2008 d) | Final: 10 May 2001 |
| Herbivory and environmental degradation caused by feral deer (DECC 2008 e) | Final: 17 December 2004 |
| Predation by feral cats (DECC 2008 c) | Final: 24 March 2000 |
| Predation by the European Red Fox (DECC 2008 b) | Final: 20 March 1998 |
| Predation, habitat degradation, competition and disease transmission by feral Pigs (DECC 2008 f) | Final: 27 August 2004 |
Source: NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change 2008
A threat abatement plan, prepared during the last reporting period for the European Red Fox, continues to run. The plan provides a collaborative strategy for fox control programs, with the primary purpose of conserving native species in NSW (DECC 2008). Updates on this plan are currently unavailable.
There are 20 priority actions under the ‘habitat management: feral control’ recovery strategy in the Bega Valley Shire Council. These actions apply to 16 threatened species, populations and communities. These include 3 endangered ecological communities which are threatened by feral pigs, 5 species of birds and 3 marsupials threatened by cats and foxes, 1 invertebrate, 1 rodent and 2 shrubs (DECC 2008h).
Pest animal control activities
NSW Government agencies
The NSW Department of Primary Industries introduced the ‘NSW Invasive Species Plan 2008 - 2015’ which aims to protect the environment, economy and community from the adverse impacts of invasive species (DPI 2008). This eight year plan has set out a framework for the coordinated and cooperative management of invasive species aiming to prevent new incursions, contain existing populations and adaptively manage widespread species. This plan is working jointly with NSW DPI, DECC, LANDS, CMAs, RLPBs and stakeholders.
During the reporting period, the NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change undertook control programs for pest animals in conservation areas, often in conjunction with other government agencies and/ or the Rural Lands Protection Board. DECC prioritises on areas where new outbreaks occur, where threatened native plants or animals are at risk from the impact of pest animals, and where there is a need to minimize the impacts of pests on neighboring lands, such as farms (DECC 2008a). Detailed information on these projects are unavailable for the current reporting period.
The Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre (IA CRC) is working on several projects aimed at controlling pest animal numbers of pigs, foxes, cats and rabbits. For example; A new bait for canids and felids which is considered fast acting, with no visible signs of distress as animals are rendered unconscious rapidly is being developed (IA CRC, 2008). In addition the CRC are also developing an antidote that may be given to any domestic dogs that take baits accidentally.
Effectiveness of control programs
No information was available to detail the effectiveness of control programs throughout the Bega Valley
South Coast Rural Lands Protection Board
No information was available detailing control activities undertaken by the Far South Coast Rural Lands Protection Board for this reporting period.
Expenditure on and effectiveness of pest animal control
No information was available regarding expenditure and effectiveness of pest animal control within Bega Valley Shire for the current reporting period.
About the Data
The NSW DPI pest animal survey represents the distribution, abundance, control and impacts of major pest animals across NSW and the ACT during 2004 to 2006. Information was captured through a two-part survey involving land management agencies. Based on a density ranking system (see table below), the resulting maps depict variation in animal abundance and density across all land tenures. Information was collected on a regional scale using a grid cell basis (5x5 km – equating 25km²). Pest animal density data was obtained from pest animal managers and key representatives from Government and non-Government agencies responsible for the control of pest animals across NSW and ACT. These agencies include the Rural Lands Protection Board Districts, NSW Department of Environment and Conservation (National Parks and Wildlife Service - now The Department of Environment and Climate Change), NSW Department of Primary Industries (State Forests of NSW), Environment ACT, and Game Council of NSW.
This is a very coarse dataset and consequently the results are lacking in specific, quantitative detail compared with the previous reporting period. Density divisions are detailed in Table 3:
| Density | Definition |
|---|---|
| High | Many animals seen at any time and much sign of activity i.e animals always observed, reliable sightings or otherwise evidence of high abundance. Best described as observing significant evidence of many animals on greater than 80% of occasions |
| Medium | Some animals seen at almost any time and/or much active sign i.e frequent but unreliable sightings of animals. Best described as observing significant evidence of some animals on 50–80% of occasions |
| Low | Few or no sightings and/or little active sign i.e rare sightings/ evidence. Best describe as observing very little evidence of animals 1-50% of occasions. |
| Absent | No animals i.e very unusual to see evidence of animals. Best described as seeing either no evidence or very little evidence of extremely low numbers of animals on less than 1% of occasions |
Source: DPI 2007
References
DECC – see Department of Environment and Climate Change
Department of Environment and Climate Change (2008a) Pest and weed management in NSW National Parks, Department of Environment and Climate Change, viewed 22 Oct 2008
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/pestsweeds/pestweedmgmtnsw.htm
Department of Environment and Climate Change (2008b) NSW Scientific Committee – Final Determination, Predation by the European Red Fox – Key Threatening Process Declaration. NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change, viewed 21 October 2008
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/determinations/EuropeanRedFoxKTPListing.htm
Department of Environment and Climate Change (2008c) NSW Scientific Committee – Final Determination, Predation by feral cats – Key Threatening Process Declaration. NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change, viewed 21 October 2008
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/determinations/FeralCatsKTPListing.htm
Department of Environment and Climate Change (2008d) NSW Scientific Committee – Final Determination, Competition and grazing by the feral European rabbit – Key Threatening Process Declaration. NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change, viewed 21 October 2008
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/determinations/FeralEuropeanRabbitKTPListing.htm
Department of Environment and Climate Change (2008e) NSW Scientific Committee – Final Determination, Herbivory and environmental degradation caused by feral deer – Key Threatening Process Declaration. NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change, viewed 21 October 2008
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/determinations/FeralDeerKtp.htm
Department of Environment and Climate Change (2008f) NSW Scientific Committee – Final Determination, Feral pigs – Key Threatening Process Declaration. NSW Department of Environment and Climate Change, viewed 21 October 2008
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/determinations/FeralPigsKtp.htm
Department of Environment and Climate Change (2008) Bega Valley Shire Council, Threatened species, populations and ecological communities of NSW, Department of Environment and Climate Change. Viewed 22 October 2008
OCE 2004 – see Department of Environment and Climate Change (2004)
Department of Environment and Climate Change (2004) New South Wales State of the Environment 2006, Chapter 6, Biodiversity Department of Environment and Climate Change, viewed: October 20 2008
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/soe/soe2006/chapter6/chp_6.4.htm#6.4.75
Department of Environment and Climate Change (2001) Predation by the red fox – threat abatement plan, Department of Environment and Climate Change, viewed 21 October 2008
http://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/threatenedspecies/RedFox-FinalThreatAbatementPlan.htm
DPI – see Department of Primary Industries
Department of Primary Industries (2008) NSW Invasive Species Plan 2008-2015, Department of Primary Industries, viewed: October 21 2008
http://www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/agriculture/pests-weeds/nsw-invasive-species-plan
Department of Primary Industries (2007) Pest Animal Survey: A review of the distribution, impacts and control of invasive animals throughout NSW and the ACT, Vertebrate Pest Research Unit, Department of Primary Industries, Orange
IA CRC (2008) – See Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre
Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre (2008) Foxes: What are we doing?, Invasive Animals Cooperative Research Centre, viewed 21 October 2008
http://www.invasiveanimals.com/invasive-animals/foxes/index.html
