Invasive Species Council recognises feral pig program

Around the country, inspiring people are doing outstanding work to protect Australia’s native plants and animals, ecosystems and people from invasive species.

This year our team has been recognized with a  commendation from the Invasive Species Council in their annual Froggatt Awards for our “innovative and collaborative landscape-scale feral pig surveillance and control program in the Otways”.

The Conservation Ecology Centre is leading an innovative program to further understand and effectively control feral pigs, which are an emerging threat in the Otways region of south-west Victoria.

This is the first landscape-scale pig control program in the Otways and it is exemplary in the way it is guided by research, has tested emerging technologies, and involved local stakeholders and land managers to ensure the best outcomes.

It has had a real impact on feral pig numbers in the Otways providing benefits to landholders, local ecosystems and regional land managers.

To date over 300 pigs have been eradicated on public and private land, in partnership with Parks Victoria, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and local Landcare networks. The removal of pigs from these local ecosystems has significantly improved habitat and conditions for native and endangered species.

You can watch a video about the work here.

“At the moment, feral pigs are only a small contributor to the plight of threatened species in the Otways, who are also dealing with foxes, cats, deer and fuel hazard reduction burns, says Dr Jack Pascoe, Conservation & Research Manager at the Conservation Ecology Centre”.

“However, programs like this one are critical to keep feral pig numbers in check so they don’t lead to the demise of some of our most precious small mammals though competition for food, habitat destruction, or the introduction of disease.”

Research and education ensure the control is effective in the mid- to long-term and provides data to facilitate informed decision-making around feral pig control at the local, state and national level.

This project is supported by Corangamite Catchment Management Authority, through funding from the Australian Government.

You can read more about the winners of this year’s Froggatt Awards here: https://invasives.org.au/blog/keyboard-weeders-and-a-pocketable-map-maker-win-froggatts/

Or read more about how you can support this important work here: www.conservationecologycentre.org/2023/05/25/feral-pigs-dont-belong-in-the-otways