Feral pigs are tearing through farms, waterways and wetlands
15 MILLION PIGS NEED TO GO RIGHT NOW
Feral pigs are tearing through farms, waterways and wetlands, leaving behind millions of dollars in damage and devastation for producers already under enormous pressure, LNP Senator for Queensland Susan McDonald says.
Senator McDonald used Senate Estimates this week to press the Federal Government on what action is being taken to tackle the exploding feral pig population, warning Canberra cannot continue to ignore the growing crisis facing regional Australia.
Current estimates suggest there are up to 26 million feral pigs across the country, and unless urgent action is taken, the problem will only get worse. Experts say around 70 per cent of the population must be removed just to reduce numbers, with as many as 15 million pigs needing to be culled every year simply to stand still.
“Australia’s feral pig crisis is spiraling out of control. Every day governments delay meaningful action, the infestation grows and the damage compounds.”
“Across Australia, producers are watching crops destroyed overnight, fencing ripped apart, water systems contaminated and native habitats obliterated.
“These pests breed rapidly, spread disease and cause untold devastation to agriculture and the environment, yet regional Australians are being left to fight this battle largely on their own.”
“The Environment Department’s blame game simply doesn’t stack up. They spend billions on the reef and impose strict regulations on farmers to reduce sediment run-off, yet when it comes to this issue they suddenly claim it’s ‘not an environmental problem’ and tell producers to take it up with the Agriculture Department.”
Senator McDonald said stronger federal involvement was urgently needed to protect Australia’s food security, biosecurity reputation and regional economies.
“If the Federal Government is serious about biosecurity, then it must get serious about feral pests,” she said.
“That means proper long-term funding, coordinated control programs and real support for the producers and communities on the frontline.
“Regional Australians are sick of Canberra talking tough on the environment while failing to back the people who actually feed this country.”
If there is not a coordinated strategy, the money is wasted and once again farmers have to pick up the bill.
