Baiting for Biodiversity delivers great results

Natural Resources Northern and Yorke Landscape Ranger Jasmine Swales said the project has delivered great benefits to local biodiversity and agricultural production in its eight years so far.

"We’re seeing increased lambing rates, improved populations of endangered species and even the re-emergence of species that were previously believed to be extinct within the project area," Ms Swales said.

"The native bush rat (Rattus fuscipes) and long-tailed dunnart (Sminthopsis dolichura) which were thought to be locally extinct, have recently been detected in fox scats, while more goannas than ever before have been recorded at the bottom end of the Yorke Peninsula.

"The bush stone curlew re-appeared soon after the landscape scale baiting began and has since been sighted regularly.

"All of these detections provide a strong indication of the success of the BfB fox control program."

Ms Swales said landholder engagement in the program was crucial and working together across property boundaries in a coordinated landscape scale approach was the only way to achieve results.

"With fox numbers reduced under the current baiting regime and excellent outcomes starting to be recorded on a regular basis, it’s important to maintain momentum.

"Everyone involved in the baiting program should feel proud of the results to date, however, there is still much more to be achieved if we continue to work together."

Several recent echidna sightings on the Southern Yorke Peninsula have excited locals after this species had been absent for many years.]

Local landholder Gary Murdoch, who has lived in the project area for more than 60 years, recently saw an echidna on his property, and said it’s the first he’s seen there.

The most recent round of baiting indicated a reduction in fox numbers in the project area, with a 29 percent bait take, a marked decrease from the 49 percent bait take recorded four years ago.

More than 100,000 hectares of land on Southern Yorke Peninsula is baited with 1080 in spring and autumn, to correspond with peak fox activity in the area.

The spring round of the Baiting for Biodiversity landscape scale program will soon begin in Warrenben, Carribie, Coonarie, Para Wurlie and Moorowie.

The Baiting for Biodiversity Program is funded by the Australian Government through the Northern and Yorke Natural Resources Management Board.

Landholders are invited to attend an informal fox baiting workshop in Warooka on 12 September to plan future coordinated fox baiting programs.

For more information and to register your interest in the fox baiting workshop, contact the Natural Resources Centre at Dhilba Guuranda-Innes National Parkon 8854 3200.