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AUSTRALIA’S WOOL growers have spent A$7 million in five years fighting a national wild dog plague that threatened to put them out of business.
The money, channeled through the R&D and marketing body Australian Wool Innovation (AWI) has funded research to preserve access to existing baits and develop new ones, document the social impact of wild dogs, and co-ordinate local, regional and national dog control work.
Australia’s wild dogs include dingoes, feral domestic dogs and hybrids. Combined, their attacks are estimated to cost at least A$50 million a year.
But while wild dogs remain a scourge for sheep producers, AWI says results from its community wild dog control initiative (CWDCI) show progress is possible.
A survey of 2200 landholders involved in CWDCI projects nationwide found 25% of respondents had de-stocked but now intended to re-introduce sheep, and 33% intended to increase sheep numbers. Some 60% said their feeling of personal wellbeing had improved and 51% reported positive biodiversity impacts.
Among 251 landholders, stock losses had reduced 70%, from an average of 310/farmer to 86. Valuing replacements at the national average of A$86/head that’s effectively A$19,000 saved.
A four-year AWI funded trial showed increasing aerial 1080-drop bait density from 10/km to 40/km increased wild dog kill from 55% to 90%. Consequently higher density baiting is now possible under permit from the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority.
AWI general manager of research Paul Swan says wild dogs still represent one of the greatest threats to the sheep and wool industry in large areas but AWI’s development of tools and local and regional networks mean they are “starting to see positive results….
“However, while we should commend the efforts of the many contributors to these on-ground efforts, we should make no mistake: there is a long way to go.”
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