Credit call for the killing of camels

KILLING feral camels and inoculating cattle to stop them burping have been suggested as activities qualifying for carbon credits.

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KILLING feral camels, early burn-offs and inoculating cattle to stop them burping methane gas have been suggested as activities qualifying for carbon credits under Labor's proposed carbon farming initiative.

A consultation paper issued by the Department of Climate Change and Energy Efficiency gives the first insight into how the federal government will decide what will qualify for carbon permits and what will not. Feral pests are firmly in the sights.

A proposal by Northwest Carbon to cull the estimated one million feral camels roaming the outback has made the list. The company's plan, first revealed in London's Financial Times newspaper, was based on an agreement with the West Australian Department of Agriculture and Food to develop a market solution to control feral camels.

Large areas of Western Australia are overrun with the camels, which do enormous damage to vegetation and have been known to terrorise townships in their search for water.

In its written proposal to government, Northwest says it would shoot the animals from helicopters or four-wheel-drives, muster them and send them to an abattoir or process them for pet food in the field.

The company has promised to use marksmen trained and accredited in animal welfare.

One camel is estimated to emit about a tonne of carbon dioxide equivalent a year, measured as 45kg of methane, and they each eat about a tonne of vegetation.

Each camel's death is estimated to yield an "emissions avoidance benefit" of about 15 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent.

The government's consultation paper contains sample positive and negative activity lists.

The positive list identifies activities that would be considered additional, and hence eligible to participate in the scheme.

The negative list identifies activities that would otherwise be additional, but are ineligible if they pose a risk to communities or the environment.

The deadline for public comment on the lists is June 30.