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Sessional Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development Written Submissions Received Volume 2 Issues associated with the progressive entry into the Northern Territory of Cane Toads October 2003

Details:

Title

Sessional Committee on Environment and Sustainable Development Written Submissions Received Volume 2 Issues associated with the progressive entry into the Northern Territory of Cane Toads October 2003

Other title

Tabled Paper 1123

Collection

Tabled Papers for 9th Assembly 2001 - 2005; Tabled papers for 9th Assembly 2001 - 2005; Tabled papers; ParliamentNT

Date

2003-10-16

Description

Tabled by Delia Lawrie

Notes

Made available by the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory under Standing Order 240. Where copyright subsists with a third party it remains with the original owner and permission may be required to reuse the material.

Language

English

Subject

Tabled papers

File type

application/pdf

Use

Copyright

Copyright owner

See publication

License

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Series/C1968A00063

Parent handle

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/307061

Citation address

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/346011

Page content

Written Submissions Environment Australia Part I Volume 2 Cane Toad Inquiry Report 109 EA considers that there would be value in Northern Territory, Western Australian and Commonwealth research and management agencies assessing whether there are relatively undisturbed islands, peninsulas or other areas of high conservation value from which it would be economically and practically feasible to exclude cane toads. If it were feasible, it would be desirable from a conservation standpoint to maintain representative areas of the bioregion as toad-free. This would involve: assessing the risk of toad colonisation of islands within the potential biological range of toads, including identifying what islands have been colonised, when and how and what factors facilitate or hamper cane toad colonisation of islands; examining whether any mainland areas could be kept toad free (for example, by patrolled fences across narrow peninsulas); developing and instituting quarantine measures to prevent cane toads arriving on islands, including search and capture methods to locate any cane toads that enter toad-free areas; raising public awareness of the need to prevent toads being transported to islands; involving Aboriginal people in patrolling quarantined areas for cane toads and in preventing their spread to quarantined areas. Public education to minimise transport of cane toads As noted previously, there is a need to carry out public education to encourage people to make sure they do not transport cane toads to quarantined areas or areas which have not yet been reached by toads. It is important not to hasten the colonisation of new areas by cane toads, in the hope that biological control or other factors will reduce or halt the spread of cane toads before they reach all suitable habitat in Australia. Conservation of species that may be threatened by cane toads Translocation and captive breeding As noted previously, data obtained from research in Kakadu in 2002-3 suggest that northern quoll numbers decline rapidly as cane toads arrive in an area. These findings prompted Parks Australia, the Parks and Wildlife Commission of the NT and the Northern Land Council to collaborate in relocating a small number of northern quolls to islands, offshore from Arnhem Land, where cane toads are not present. The quolls were translocated from a number of areas across the Top End, including Kakadu. The Commonwealth Government provided an NHT grant of $28,000 to support the involvement of Indigenous communities in this project. Where studies indicate a substantial risk that the survival of a species may be threatened by cane toads, EA considers that it would be prudent to try to conserve breeding populations of species through translocation or captive breeding. These measures can play a role in safeguarding species from specific threats until that threat can be controlled. Listing of threatened species Listing of threatened species under State, Territory or Commonwealth legislation can potentially facilitate a strategic approach to conservation measures and an increased commitment by government agencies to implementing conservation measures.