New path to finally snuff out a Cape York feral pig problem

A new approach to a feral pig scourge that's costing up to $100m in agricultural losses each year is outsmarting pest populations to end destruction of delicate ecosystems and wetlands.

Wild feral pigs near the gulf of Carpentaria North Queensland.

A new approach to a feral pig scourge that's costing up to $100m in agricultural losses each year is outsmarting pest populations to end destruction of delicate ecosystems and wetlands.

A new evidence-based strategy to control feral pigs in northern Australia is showing

promise by offering fresh hope for farmers, conservationists, and Indigenous rangers battling the destructive pests.

The Integrated Pest Management approach that combines cutting-edge research, local knowledge, and advanced technology.

For decades, efforts to control feral pigs have struggled to make a lasting impact but now, scientists and Indigenous rangers are trialling an Integrated Pest Management

approach that combines cutting-edge research, local knowledge, and advanced

technology to create a more co-ordinated, cost-effective and sustainable solution.

The fresh take on the problem involves a multifaceted approach by combining control methods such as baiting, trapping, shooting, fencing alongside the development of new technology.

Reef and Rainforest Research Centre managing director Sheriden Morris said the project was underway at coastal sites in the Russell/Mulgrave catchment, Kakadu and

Cape York Peninsula, where researchers were testing new monitoring and control

techniques.

“To finally get on top of this issue, we need a more strategic approach,” she

said.

“That means gathering and integrating all the relevant data (including) pig behaviour,

movement patterns, diet, and habitat use, to inform smarter, more effective control

strategies.”

Researchers are developing a decision-support algorithm that will provide a clear and measurable framework for action and so far the results have been encouraging.

Once fully developed the tool will allow investment in control efforts to have a real impact through a smarter and more cost-effective way forward.

A group of feral pigs feast on bananas. Picture Supplied

Ms Morris is expected to speak at the upcoming National Feral Pig Conference at Surfers Paradise in March.

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Originally published as New path to finally snuff out a Cape York feral pig problem