Hon Louise Kingston asks about the number of feral animals destroyed in 2022 by DBCA and their estimated populations in WA. DBCA provides figures for camels, horses, pigs, and deer destroyed, but does not record the number of foxes and cats controlled or population estimates for any species.

AnsweredQoN 1438Legislative Council
Asked
14 November 2023
Portfolio
Environment

QuestionView source ↗

BIODIVERSITY,
CONSERVATION AND ATTRACTIONS — DECLARED PESTS
1438. Hon LOUISE KINGSTON to the parliamentary secretary representing the
Minister for Environment:
I refer to pest management in
Department of Biosecurity, Conservation and Attractions–managed
reserves.
(1) How many of the following feral
animals were destroyed in 2022 by DBCA activities —
(a) camel;
(b) horse;
(c) pig;
(d) fox;
(e) cat; and
(f) deer?
(2) For each of the above, what is
the estimated population currently in Western Australia?

AnswerView source ↗

I thank the member for some notice
of the question. On behalf of the Minister for Environment I provide the
following answer.
(1) The
Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions—DBCA—in
partnership with recognised biosecurity groups and recreational hunting groups,
undertook the following activities to manage pest species in 2022 —
(a) A total of
351 feral camels were destroyed, with 316 in the Kimberley region, 10 in the
midwest region and 25 in the goldfields region.
(b) Eight feral
horses were destroyed in the Kimberley region.
(c) Approximately
1 500 feral pigs were destroyed, with 182 in the Kimberley region, 500 in the
midwest region, 92 in the wheatbelt region, 271 in the Swan region, 28 in
regional parks and 425 in the south west region.
(d)–(e) DBCA's
Western Shield program delivered fox and/or feral cat management to over 3.8 million
hectares of DBCA-managed and adjoining lands in Western Australia. The number of these introduced predators controlled through
the program is not recorded due to the scale and complexity of this
management activity, with outcomes focused on the overall recovery of native
species.
(f) Six feral
deer were destroyed in the Warren region.
(2) DBCA does not collect data on
the estimated population of species referred to in (1).

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