THIS week’s announcement that seven wild dog trappers have been contracted by the government has been warmly welcomed by the state’s livestock industry.
The first trappers are already on the ground, as part of the government’s $1.4 million wild dog program.
Livestock SA president Joe Keynes said the appointments and the baiting being undertaken should make a big difference to dog numbers.
“This is a really positive move towards ensuring we can get on top of the wild dog problem,” he said.
SA Wild Dog Advisory Group chairperson Heather Miller said the trappers would play an important education role.
“As well as targeting those dogs that are hard to get rid of, the trappers will also be sharing their knowledge and skills with landholders,” she said.
Ms Miller said a way landholders could help ensure wild dog numbers come down was to use the Pest Smart Wild Dog Scan app.
“We’re encouraging people to use it so we can get a better picture of where the dogs are,” she said.
Primary Industries and Regional Development Minister Tim Whetstone said the government was taking action to protect SA’s $4.7 billion livestock industries.
“For far too long there has not been enough done to tackle the wild dog problem here in SA,” he said.
Mr Whetstone said the government was undertaking one of SA’s largest coordinated attacks on wild dogs.
“I’m confident this work will substantially reduce the impact of these pests on our $1.9 billion sheep industry,” he said.
“Visiting the Far West Dog Fence Board Association last week further highlighted the importance of these control measures and the need for trappers on the ground.”
The seven wild dog trappers, amounting to two full-time equivalents, are part of the control program that lead to more than 25,000 baits, covering 31 properties, being dropped from a plane inside the dog fence between Coober Pedy and the NSW border last week.
Trappers will be allocated to support land managers affected by wild dogs south of the Dog Fence in hot spots and this could involve more than two trappers working concurrently.
As part of the control program, each land manager will need to meet selection criteria, including appropriate baiting within the past six months and showing evidence wild dogs still remain on their property.
“Coordinated baiting supported by trappers is the only way we will substantially reduce the impacts of wild dogs,” Mr Whetstone said.
“As wild dogs don't respect borders we are pleased that pastoralists in western NSW are supporting SA’s coordinated program, with landholders in the south-west corner of NSW set to carry out another round of ground baiting of their own.”
The state government is also offering a one-off allocation of free baits to all pastoral land managers with the support of PIRSA, Natural Resource Management boards and the Department of Environment and Water.
