More new ferals possible

[Goodoo]

I don't agree that shooting has little impact. Hunting is used successfully in many places to keep pest animals at low densities. Poisoning can also reduce populations, but it has many setbacks. Very few dead animals an be found so it is hard to measure success, non target species are killed and animals that die are killed slowly and painfully. To have a lasting effect the poisoning must be regularly and not stop. There is no way of eliminating pests, or it would have been done earlier, all control methods are about keeping pests low densities. Here is a recent paper on the subject.

http://www.gamecouncil.nsw.gov.au/docs/ISC%20response.pdf

 

[tooninoz]

Sorry guys, don't want to impinge on the debate of shooting rights, licences or guns, just to draw this back on topic.
No one is debating the fact that these animals are already here. They've been here for decades.
The proposal is for the birds to be released from private custodianship to be shot at , with the risk being that any escaping birds become a new pest.
People need to weigh up their alleged love for Australian fauna against their desire to kill something different...

 

[TonyPeacock]

As far as I know all the birds listed such as pheasants, partridge, guinea fowl have been legal and commmonly owned in NSW for decades or longer. I have never heard of any living and breeding in the wild before. I have a neighbour who has had all his guinea fowl killed a couple of times by foxes, and has to keep buying more. As these are not new species to Australia I think it is a beatup by groups who are fighting for some media coverage. I think these species are released on game reserves in Victoria where they are legal. Until one of these groups shows they have established and bred there I will not believe their propoganda.

Canada geese were on the list....

The point is that one of the critical risk factors in establishing a feral is how many times it is released. If we set up a system for pheasants, for example, to be released from a number of places, more often, they will be become established. It took from 1889 till 1920 before they became a pest in California - where they have plenty of predators.

I am in favour of hunters being used in feral animal control programs where it's appropriate. The paper you quote uses "Operation Bounceback" as the good example, and I agree it is a good program. But it is a bigger program that uses the whole range of methods, not just shooters. I do think there are many more programs possible if the groups work together.

 

[Goodoo]

Canadian Geese are the one feral species which I know of that have been eradicated from Australia. This was done by a Game Council lisenced conservation hunter. Here is the link.

http://www.gamecouncil.nsw.gov.au/docs/geese.pdf

I have looked at the list and dont remember Canadian Geese on it. It may be the case that Canadian Geese were on the game animals list so that special permission is not needed to shoot them if more arrive.