The number of native animals killed under crop protection permits has been released

Crop protection permits issued in Tasmania since 2014 have allowed a staggering number of native animals to be killed, new documents show.

SEVEN platypuses died in nets used in Tasmania’s carp eradication program under permits issued by the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, documents reveal.

New Right to Information documents show more than 12,000 crop protection permits have been issued for the culling of native animals in Tasmania including galah, green rosellas, wombat and platypuses in the last 5½ years.

Released by DPIPWE, the documents detail how many permits have been granted in each region of the state for 24 different animals.

The documents show there were 12,005 permits in total granted, including 21 for galahs, 22 for green rosellas, 151 for wombats and six for platypuses.

REVEALED: SHOCK NUMBER OF WILDLIFE CULL PERMITS

The quota, or maximum number of the species able to be taken using the permit, shows as many as 21,726 black swans, 675 galahs, 681 green rosellas, 5087 wombats and six platypuses could have been culled in that time period.

More than 5000 wombats could have been killed in Tasmania under crop protection permits issued since 2014. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

A DPIPWE spokeswoman said the quota “is the number that is determined that could be taken after careful assessment so as not to threaten the sustainability of the population”.

The spokeswoman said permits to take platypus were issued to the Inland Fisheries Service to support the “vitally important carp eradication program”.

“Carp are invasive pests that, if not eradicated, will dramatically impact our freshwater ecosystems,” she said.

“These permits were issued on the basis that the netting for carp may have resulted in platypus being caught, but with the intention of releasing them from the net alive. It was acknowledged that this might not be possible and that some platypus might drown before they could be reached.

“From 2012, 15 platypus were caught during carp eradication program operations. Of these, eight were released unharmed, and seven died.”

The DPIPWE website describes Tasmanian platypuses as being “increasingly vulnerable to the degradation of suitable water bodies from poor land management practices and water extraction for irrigation and domestic usage.”

A Tasmanian platypus management plan was published by the department in 2010.

Greens MP Rosalie Woodruff said the culling numbers were “shocking figures”.

“Landowners are given an unlimited right to shoot these native animals, without any monitoring or reporting required of actual numbers killed,” she said.

“The Hodgman Government has cut funding to the previously functioning Game Management Unit and its successful Browsing Animal Management Program, the alternative to 1080 poisoning.

“When native animal populations crash — as happened with wombats from the devastating mange outbreak — public outcry at wombat shootings caused the permits to dry up.”

There were six permits issued for the killing of platypuses.

Premier Will Hodgman said there needed to be a balance between managing animals’ impact on the agricultural sector and species conservation.

“Managing these programs in a humane way and that appropriately handles what is a delicate circumstance for not only Tasmanians, but our wildlife population, is an important balance we have to get right,” he said.

Internationally recognised filmmaker David Parer has filmed platypuses in Tasmania and throughout eastern Australia for many years.

“There’s a bid to enforce the prohibition of certain netting traps because platypus get caught up in them and drown,” Mr Parer said.

WHAT IS A CROP PROTECTION PERMIT AND HOW DOES IT WORK?

■ According to the DPIPWE website, the department cannot grant a permit unless satisfied damage caused by wildlife is “posing an unacceptable risk and it is required to prevent the destruction of, or injury to, any stock or plants caused by the wildlife specified in the permit”.

■ A permit can be issued to protect any plants or animals that are cultivated or used in a commercial activity.

■ The application form requires an applicant to say what species they plan on culling, how they will be culled and how many they wish to cull.

■ Crop protection permit regulations are legislated as part of the Wildlife (General) Regulations 2010

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Original URL: https://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/the-number-of-native-animals-killed-under-crop-protection-permits-has-been-released/news-story/0db84c70f2831fab26c3cae85333e190

SPECIES	Number of crop protection permits issued since 2014	Maximum number of animals that could have been culled
Bennetts and rufous wallaby and brushtail possum	8763	Not yet available
Black currawong	17	261
Black faced cormorant	5	0
Black swan	331	21,726
Cape Barren goose	197	5486
Common pheasant	1	12
Common wombat	151	5087
Duck (various species)	438	24,069
Eurasian coot	4	80
Forester kangaroo	884	50,755
Galah	21	675
Green rosella	22	681
Gulls (various species)	120	3938
Juvenile mutton bird	132	3305
Masked lap wing (plover)	46	168
Native hen	282	10,606
Noisy minor	2	20
Platypus	6	6
Silver eye (bird)	23	3260
Sugar glider	1	0
Sulphur crested cockatoo	609	44,412
Welcome swallow	8	0
Yellow tail black cockatoo	10	31
Yellow wattle bird	1	6
TOTALS:	12,005	174,584