Seems as though the Vic govt has brought in a bounty on dogs and foxes, but
only in some areas.
Cheers
Graham Turner
see
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/foxlotto-back-as-pests-roam-wider/2007/03/28/1174761528104.html
Foxlotto back as pests roam wider
March 28, 2007 - 3:51PM
Hunters will get $50 per wild dog and $10 per fox under a $1 million Victorian
government bounty scheme to remove the animals from bushfire-ravaged areas.
But the Victorian Nationals say that won't be enough to protect stock and
native wildlife from the animals as they roam for food.
The program, expected to run for six months, will target increasing numbers of
wild dogs and foxes seen after recent bushfires in Victoria's north-east,
south-west and Gippsland areas, Agriculture Minister Joe Helper said.
"Farmers are reporting an increase in the number of wild dogs and foxes roaming
more widely in search of food due to the recent fires and this provides an
opportunity to crack down," Mr Helper said.
The Department of Primary Industries will provide the rewards.
Nationals leader Peter Ryan said the bounty program should be extended across
the whole state and the money matched by the Department of Sustainability and
Environment (DSE).
"It will descend into a farce if foxes shot just outside the fire-hit areas are
not allowed to be included in the bounty program," Mr Ryan said.
He said he had raised the bounty proposal with the Bushfire Ministerial Task
Force two weeks ago and was pleased the government had taken his advice.
Nationals agriculture spokesman Peter Walsh said that if the government was
serious about removing the pests it would fund the bounty permanently.
"The only good fox is a dead fox and the same applies to wild dogs, wherever
they happen to live in Victoria," Mr Walsh said.
He said providing an incentive for hunters to shoot the animals was a positive
move.
Mr Helper said he expected fewer dogs to be shot than foxes.
"The higher rate for wild dogs is due to the fact they are less prevalent and
more difficult to catch because they are mostly concentrated in
difficult-to-access bush," Mr Helper said.
"They also have a greater capacity to attack stock and cause significant
heartache for individual farmers."
The Bushfire Recovery Fox and Wild Dog Bounty Program is part of the
government's multi-million dollar Bushfire Recovery Package to be unveiled soon.
AAP
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