Aerial baiting is one part of a series of strategic programs that also include ground baiting and trapping to target dogs across the whole LHPA network.
THE Livestock Health and Pest Authorities (LHPA) have recently completed coordination of another successful phase of the wild dog programs in conjunction with landholders, land managers and other agencies.
LHPA Project Manager for Pests, Tim Seears, said the programs are part of the LHPA’s efforts to assist landholders manage wild dogs and their impacts.
“As a result of improved seasonal conditions, wild dogs are becoming an emerging issue for many NSW landholders in areas not having had wild dog impacts in recent years and the LHPA is committed to assisting them manage the problem,” he said.
“Wild dog activity has been reported in 11 of the 14 LHPA districts over the past four months.
“In response, over the same period since 1 May, local LHPAs have supplied over 243,000 baits to accredited landholders for wild dog control and over 505,000 baits issued for fox control.”
Mr Seears said several local LHPAs recently coordinated aerial baiting programs, in conjunction with wild dog associations and other agencies, as a broad scale approach targeting wild dogs in remote and inaccessible locations.
“The 2012 aerial baiting program involved over 85,000 baits being dropped along 2,643 kilometres of flight path across 509 properties.
“The aerial baiting is one part of strategic programs that also includes ground baiting and trapping to target dogs across the whole landscapes and land tenures.
“There are programs, a mix of ground and aerial, managed by National Parks and Wildlife Service and Forests NSW that tie in with these landholder driven programs.
“Without the cooperation of the local wild dog associations, consisting of landholders and public land managers, aerial baiting programs such as these ones wouldn’t be successful.
“It is their local knowledge that ensures effort is targeted at the correct ridge or drainage line wild dogs travel.
“Following aerial baiting it is critical that producers continue to report wild dog activity to the LHPA as soon as possible, as this will assist in assessing the effectiveness and to enable follow up programs to be implemented to capitalise on reduced populations from the aerial baiting.”
Local LHPAs have responsibility for coordinating wild dog management and providing advice and support to landholders to enable them to meet their obligations under the Rural Lands Protection Act 1998 and Pest Control Order.
At a state level, the LHPA works closely with the NSW Department of Primary Industries, Invasive Species Unit on ensuring cooperation between agencies involved in wild dog management in NSW.
For more information on wild dog control contact your local LHPA office.