Queensland Feral Animal Summit

News from Biosecurity Queensland

 

More than 70 participants representing all sectors including community, industry and government, attended the first Queensland Feral Animal Summit hosted by the Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Dr John McVeigh in Toowoomba at the end of June.

The Summit, the first stage of building and enhancing the management of feral animals in Queensland, will guide the development of a framework to address particular feral animal issues, promote and inform on those issues and identify funds and resources to mitigate those issues.

The focus was firmly on the impacts feral animals have on industry and the environment and what actions are required to prevent further impacts.

 

 

 

A number of agreed directions arose from the summit, including:

 

• the importance of preventing new, emerging species and an expansion of existing species ranges;
• establishing commonly agreed and clearly expressed priorities, roles, responsibilities and actions;
• support for systems that reward effective management and allow compliance actions to encourage participation;
• multi species management approaches rather than species specific approaches;
• increasing community understanding and engagement;
• the importance of collaboration and coordination;
• the need for the community to be aware of and skilled to deal with feral species;
• commitment to streamline access to existing funding and ensure funding is coordinated, practical and inclusive;
• eliminating duplication through knowledge networks and communication groups to gather and disseminate information to stop duplication of effort; and
• innovating to expand the number of people and organisations involved in the management of feral animals.

The Invasive Plants and Animals Committee (IPAC) was also announced at the Summit.

The IPAC will be comprised of representatives from a number of industry bodies, and state and local governments.

IPAC representatives will play an overarching and leadership role in managing invasive plant and animal issues across the state.

For more information on feral animals, visitbiosecurity.qld.gov.au