Tens of thousands of native animals culled under crop protection permits

Tens of thousands of native animals have been killed under crop protection permits, including black swans, cockatoos and native hens. See the full breakdown of animals culled >>

• More than 16,000 crop protection permits were issued over five years
• DPIPWE outlines rigorous assessment behind the issuing of crop protection permits amid outcry

NEW figures show tens of thousands of native animals are being killed each year under crop protection permits issued by a government agency.

The Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment has released figures on the number of animals killed under permits it has issued between August 2019 and September 2020.

The figures are based on a survey of 15 per cent of permit holders and the total will not be known until the permits expire five years after being issued.

The figures show that the permit holders surveyed shot, trapped or poisoned 7,878 Bennetts and Rufous wallabies and brushtail possums in the last year, plus 4951 Forester kangaroos.

Among other native animals killed were 70 black swans, 721 Cape Barren geese, 162 sulphur crested cockatoos, 1937 silver gulls, eight native hens and four black cockatoos.

And there are permits on issue for the killing of 51 wombats.

Greens MP Rosalie Woodruff said the figures were alarming.

“If all landholders with a permit to kill were required to report annually, the true number of kangaroos, wallabies and possums killed last year is likely far more than 80,000,” she said.

“On DPIPWE’s new five-year permit to kill list are some most loved Tasmanian wildlife, including wombats, silvereyes, sulphur-crested black cockatoos, native hens, black currawongs and black swans – as well as a number of unspecified protected species.

Ms Woodruff said the killing of wombats ran counter to efforts to protect the species.

“Despite the devastation of sarcoptic mange that continues to decimate the Tasmanian wombat population, wombat carers will be shocked to hear that permits to kill these wild animals continue to be issued,” she said.

“It beggars belief that permits are handed out for the next five years to kill wildlife, when DPIPWE undertakes no credible population monitoring of any of these animals.

“It’s a recipe for a wildlife crash in Tasmania.”

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