Feral deer, pigs and goat populations threaten biosecurity systems
FERAL deer and goat populations are threatening Australian biosecurity systems, farmers warn.
FERAL deer and goat populations are threatening Australian biosecurity systems, farmers warn.
Victorian farmers have told an environmental Senate inquiry investigating the impact of feral deer, pig and goat populations that while the pressure on grazing management was one frustration “the real issue lies in the threat of biosecurity breakdown”.
Victorian Farmers Federation land management committee chairman Gerald Leach said deer and pigs carry a number of diseases that pose potential threats to the nation’s livestock sector.
“This could cost our industries and, in fact, our nation billions of dollars,” he said.
“Our view is that lack of funding is a really serious issue.
“We can have very well-drafted regulatory frameworks, but they have absolutely no value if they are not backed up by resources, which sadly tends to be the case.”
Mr Leach told the inquiry that in Victoria that there had been “a massive build-up of feral deer over the past decade”.
“Deer are in a bit of a different category to others in that they were a partly protected species at one stage, for whatever reason,” he said.
“Deer carry a large number of diseases that can affect commercial livestock.”
He said feral pigs posed an even greater threat to agricultural biosecurity, carrying diseases that don’t exist in commercial pig herds.
Mr Leach said while very good threat abatement plans had been drawn up, they were of no value if not backed up by resources.
The Federal Government last week announced it would establish a chief environmental biosecurity officer within the Department of Agriculture and Water Resources.
The officer would provide national environmental biosecurity policy leadership (similar to the chief veterinary officer and chief plant protection officer).
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