(BIRDING-AUS) Tasmanian Foxes

["Lawrie Conole" <>]

Robert Read wrote:

 

> In other words it is going to need Federal support.
> Getting rid of these foxes will be very expensive, but far cheaper than the
> long-term cost of intervening to save the species that will become
> endangered if the foxes become established.
>
> Once again I urge all birding-aus'ers to write to the Minister of
> Environment asking for urging Federal support for the Tasmanians.  The
> address is
>
> The Hon Dr David Kemp

> Write to your local Federal MP as well.  If you care about conservation do
> this now.  Politicians my have a limited grasp of environmental issues but
> they can count the letters in their mail boxes.  If you don't know what to
> say email me and I will send you a draft.

In your letter to the responsible Federal minister and other representatives, you should also include reference to the fact that predation by the Fox is already listed by the Feds as an endangering process under the Environmental Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 - see:

 

http://www.ea.gov.au/cgi-bin/sprat/public/publicshowkeythreat.pl?id=1

 

The threat abatement plan is here

 

http://www.ea.gov.au/biodiversity/threatened/tap/foxes/index.html

 

These legislative/administrative instruments indicate how the Feds might be drawn (further) into the eradication process.  I'm sure the Tasmanians have already considered this, but it will not hurt to remind Mr Kemp.

 

The highly successful use of 1080 bait (as Fox-off) on the mainland might not be appropriate in Tasmania due to the widespread occurrence of the Tasmanian Devil and Spot-tailed Quoll which might be unintended victims of "indiscriminate" poisoning.  Organised fox hunts by shooters would offer a more targetted approach - other methods might also be effective.

 

The establishment of Foxes in Tasmania is a calamitous development, and we should all be both alarmed and activist in response.

 

L.

 

 

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Senior Zoologist
Ecology Australia Pty Ltd
88 B Station Street, Fairfield, Victoria 3078 AUSTRALIA
Phone BH (03) 9489 4191
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