Dingoes 23/11/10

Dingo Media Release

Dingo CARE Network Inc urges both parties to stop playing political football with the environment Date 19 November 2010 Dingo CARE Network Inc (Incorporated under the Associations Incorporation Act 1981 on 21 June 2004 No A0045881H) Dingo CARE Network Inc. today expressed disappointment that both the Labour Party and the Coalition have promised a resumption of aerial wild dog/dingo baiting in the run up to the Victorian State Election. Julie Fechner, President of Dingo CARE Network Inc, today said: “It seems that both parties are ignoring the science in an attempt to increase their rural vote. Research has shown that aerial baiting has not been effective in the past so why do politicians continue with the same old practices, and why would farmers want scarce resources wasted on management practices that have been shown to be ineffective? Not only is it unscientific, but may be damaging to the natural environment.”

“Research is has shown that baiting weakens dingo pack structure, which exacerbates the problem of roaming dingoes and wild dogs. When the dominant or alpha pair is killed, remaining pack members often become poor hunters and breed at a higher rate. This is similar to removing the parents from the family farm and leaving young teenagers in charge to behave irresponsibly.” “When dingo packs are left intact, the overall dingo population is self-regulating at a relatively low level and they tend to stay within their home territory. They also play an important role as the top order predator maintaining environmental balance, protecting many of our small endangered species, and keeping kangaroo numbers in check.”

“If the Victorian government is serious about developing a sustainable solution for wild-dog predation on farm stock, it should promote and finance non-lethal control methods, including the use of lamas and maremma dogs. Such alternatives are now being used successfully in Queensland to protect stock.” “The dingo is now protected wildlife under the Victorian Wildlife Act. We trust that these announcements by the major political parties have been made in full consideration of the new laws protecting the dingo, and there are no plans to bait outside the agreed 3 kilometre buffer zone between public and private land.” Further information: Julie Fechner: 0419 55 2226 julie@dingo.id.au Ernest Healy 03 99020752 ernest.healy@arts.monash.edu.au

Another Dingo Media Release

The National Dingo Preservation and Recovery Program today expressed disappointment at the Victorian Labor government’s decision to resume aerial baiting for wild dogs in north-east Victoria and Gippsland. Yesterday, The Victorian Minister for Agriculture, Joe Helper, announced a budget of $1.2 million for the resumption of aerial baiting of wild dogs. NDPRP President, Dr Ian Gunn, today stated that the resumption of aerial baiting would likely prove counter productive in controlling wild-dog numbers and be a significant waste of public finances. ‘Aerial baiting trials have been conducted before in Victoria and found to be largely ineffective. It is concerning that it has been resurrected as part of an election campaign.’ Dr Gunn encouraged the Victorian government to take seriously the body of expert opinion that suggests that indiscriminant baiting and trapping of wild dogs and dingoes may be in fact exacerbating the very problem that farmers wish to overcome.

‘Recent research has concluded that the lethal control of dingo populations destabilizes pack structures, which can lead to increased breeding rates. In a stable pack, or family unit, only the dominant female usually breeds, limiting the wild-dog or dingo population. If a dominant female or male is killed through baiting or trapping, then subordinate females are free to breed, producing more pups than usual. Pups which result from fractured packs are less likely to be territorially constrained and may not be taught to hunt properly. Such ‘poorly-educated’ juvenile dingoes are more likely to resort to easy prey, such as sheep on farmland. Many farmers have been mystified as to why wild-dog numbers have been increasing despite increased levels of poisoning and trapping. This is why.’

While Dr Gunn applauded the Victorian government’s recent listing the dingo as threatened wildlife, he called upon the Minister for Agriculture to encourage farmers to adopt non-lethal methods of wild dog control, rather than an escalation of poisoning. ‘In the past, the breaking up of pack structures has also facilitated the hybridisation of dingoes with domestic dogs. New approaches to farm stock protection need to be adopted, rather than simply persisting with very expensive control methods that simply don’t work in the longer term.’Dr Gunn called upon the Victorian government to allocate a budget equivalent to that announced for aerial baiting to dingo conservation for the coming three year period. Contacts: Dr Ian Gunn BVSc. FACVSc. 0427 387778 (mob.) Dr Ernest Healy 03 9902 0752(w) 03 9 3065037 (h)