- Five recipients to share in $320,000 research grant funding to aid wild dog monitoring and control measures
- Cook Government helping affected producers to protect livestock and livelihoods
The Cook Government is supporting efforts to protect the State's valuable livestock industry from the impact of wild dogs with $320,000 for new research and development projects.
Grants have been provided to seven regional biosecurity groups and research organisations, across five projects, to examine innovative monitoring methods to support on-ground wild dog control.
The Carnarvon Rangelands Biosecurity Association will use its $50,000 grant to trial the use of thermal technology for monitoring and create opportunities for after dark control activities.
The Goldfields Nullarbor Recognised Biosecurity Group will receive $67,000 to explore the potential of squawker boxes, drones, thermal scopes and camera traps to collect information on wild dog numbers.
Funding of $69,600 will assist the Central Wheatbelt Biosecurity Association to continue to run the Northern Agricultural Surveillance Network, in collaboration with the Midlands and Northern Biosecurity Groups.
Murdoch University's $100,000 grant will create a wild dog lure and dispenser for camera trapping and to improve images of individual wild dogs to help analyse population size and assess control tools.
A $32,500 grant to the Pilbara Regional Biosecurity Group will use camera traps to assess the effectiveness of their annual aerial baiting program.
This year's grants focus on monitoring techniques to complement previous funding that examined a range of alternative non-lethal wild dog control measures.
The grants form part of the State Government's WA Wild Dog Action Plan for a best practice approach to decrease the impact of wild dogs on agricultural production and biodiversity.
As stated by Agriculture and Food Minister Jackie Jarvis:
"These grants will assist monitoring the wild dog population to support best practice on-ground control activities that protect producers' livelihoods and livestock.
"I look forward to the outcomes of these research initiatives and how they support the control tools used in wild dog management strategies.
"Recognised Biosecurity Groups are doing some great work, embracing innovation and new technology to protect livestock and improve productivity and profitability."
