South Australia has become the first jurisdiction in the country to legislate Statewide baiting standards for wild dogs, following the recent floods which washed away hundreds of kilometres of the Dog Fence.
Unveiling the new measures, Minister for Primary Industries and Regional Development, David Basham said the Department of Primary Industries and Regions (PIRSA) was deploying 2,000 aerial baits to ensure wild dogs did not migrate south.
Mr Basham said a barrier of baits had been deployed to stop wild dogs slipping through an estimated 40 storm-damaged breaches of the Dog Fence.
“The extra aerial baiting will help protect our livestock industry from the scourge of wild dogs while repair work is undertaken,” Mr Basham said.
“Wild dogs rip nearly $89 million a year from the Australian economy with South Australian producers losing more than 20,000 sheep to wild dogs in 2018 alone.
“While the floods washed away parts of the old Dog Fence and eroded tracks along it, fortunately the new Dog Fence has withstood the flood waters, suffering minimal damage,” he said.
“Three professional wild dog trappers are ready to swing into action and, as soon as allowed, they will be deployed to fix the fence in affected regions when access is restored.”
Mr Basham said South Australia was the first jurisdiction in the country to legislate Statewide baiting standards for wild dogs.
He said the development of the new baiting standards, which followed extensive consultation, removed historic barriers to controls and enabled the strategic targeting for removal of wild dog safe havens and breeding areas.
The Minister said the new standards applied to Region 1 (vast areas inside the Dog Fence from the far west coast to the NSW border); Region 2 (Robertstown to Hawker and areas surrounding Ceduna); Region 3 (Ngarkat Conservation Park and surrounding areas); Region 4 (all other areas inside the Dog Fence, excluding Kangaroo Island); and Region 5 (35-kilometre buffer of land running along the outside of the SA Dog Fence).
Further information on PIRSA’s wild dog baiting standards can be accessed at this PS News link.
