Australian pest animal strategy
A national strategy for the management of vertebrate pest animals in Australia
Department of the Environment and Water Resources
ISBN 978-0-6425536-9-6
Review of the strategy
An independent review of the strategy in 2012 recommended that the strategy be revised to reflect changes in pest animal management in Australia. As the strategy is almost 10 years old, it needs to be brought into line with updated biosecurity policies, including the Intergovernmental Agreement on Biosecurity (IGAB). The revised strategy will set the direction for national pest animal management, including principles that can be applied by everyone, and provide guidance for individual organisations and property owners, and encourage them to work together to improve the way pest animals are managed. The Australian Government Department of Agriculture and Water Resources hosts the draft Australian Pest Animal Strategy 2017-2027.
About the strategy
The vision for the Australian Pest Animal Strategy is that: Australia’s biodiversity, agricultural assets and social values are secure from the impacts of vertebrate pest animals.
The focus of the Strategy is to address the undesirable impacts caused by exotic vertebrate animals (mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish) that have become pests in Australia, and to prevent the establishment of new exotic vertebrate pests.
In Australia, pest animals have major economic, environmental and social impacts. Many pest animals cause significant damage to crops and seriously affect Australia’s livestock industries by preying on stock and competing for pasture. Pest animals also cause severe land degradation by promoting soil erosion, stream turbidity and the spread of weeds. Competition, habitat destruction and predation by pest animals threaten the survival of many of Australia’s native plants and animals.
Australian private and public landowners and users spend considerable time and money addressing the impacts of pest animals. For example, it has been estimated that eleven of Australia’s major pest animals (wild populations of foxes, pigs, rabbits, mice, goats, carp, dogs, cane toads, camels, cats and horses) have negative impacts in Australia valued at over $720 million per annum (McLeod 2004).