Outcomes of the Australian Feral Camel Management Project and the future of feral camel management in Australia
Quentin Hart A and Glenn Edwards B C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations
A c/- Ninti One Limited, PO Box 3971, Alice Springs, NT 0871, Australia.
B Department of Land Resource Management, PO Box 1120, Alice Springs, NT 0871, Australia.
C Corresponding author. Email: glenn.edwards@nt.gov.au
The Rangeland Journal 38(2) 201-206 https://doi.org/10.1071/RJ15087
Submitted: 26 August 2015 Accepted: 29 December 2015 Published: 10 March 2016
Abstract
The Australian Feral Camel Management Project achieved its feral camel density targets at nominated environmental sites, with feral camel density being used as a de facto measure of feral camel impact. The project recognised that it was only the first step in a more concerted effort to bring feral camel impacts under control and therefore had a major focus on building capacity for future feral camel management. Although it had a management focus, the project provided a valuable opportunity to improve our knowledge of feral camel damage and management with an extensive monitoring and evaluation process. The final report of the project provides 24 recommendations that should be considered by all stakeholders in undertaking ongoing feral camel management.
Additional keywords: feral herbivores, government policy, landscape-scale management.
References
Biosecurity SA (2012). Rabbit Technical Note 4: Damage, Density and the Economic Injury Level. Available at: www.yumpu.com/en/document/view/25357951/damage-density-and-the-economic-injury-level (accessed 10 December 2015).Braysher, M. (1993). ‘Managing Vertebrate Pests: Principles and Strategies.’ (Bureau of Resource Sciences, Australian Government Publishing Service: Canberra, ACT.)
Brim Box, J., Nano, C. E. M., McBurnie, G., Waller, D. M., McConnell, K., Brock, C., Paltridge, R., McGilvray, A., Bubb, A., and Edwards, G. P. (2016). The impact of feral camels (Camelus dromedarius) on woody vegetation in arid Australia. The Rangeland Journal 38, 181–190.
Buller, C., Cathles, H., Dall, D., and Hunt, R. (2005). ‘Nil tenure’ approach to invasive animal management in Australia – extending the paradigm. In: ‘Proceedings of the 13th Australasian Vertebrate Pest Conference’. Wellington, New Zealand. pp. 28–32. (Landcare Research: Lincoln, New Zealand.) www.pestsmart.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/VPC2005.pdf
Choquenot, D., and Parkes, J. (2001). Setting thresholds for pest control: how does pest density affect resource viability? Biological Conservation 99, 29–46.
| Setting thresholds for pest control: how does pest density affect resource viability?Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Choquenot, D., McIlroy, J., and Korn, T. (1996). ‘Managing Vertebrate Pests: Feral Pigs.’ Bureau of Resource Sciences. (AGPS: Canberra, ACT.)
Dorges, B., and Heucke, J. (1995). Ecology, social organisation and behaviour of the feral dromedary Camelus dromedaries in central Australia. Unpublished report (translated from two PhD theses submitted in 1995). University of Braunschweig, Braunschweig, Germany.
Edwards, G., Saalfeld, K., and Clifford, B. (2004). Population trend of camels in the Northern Territory, Australia. Wildlife Research 31, 509–511.
| Population trend of camels in the Northern Territory, Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Edwards, G., Zeng, B., Saalfeld, K., Vaarzon-Morel, P., and McGregor, M. (Eds) (2008). ‘Managing the Impacts of Feral Camels in Australia: A New Way of doing Business.’ DKCRC Report 47. (Desert Knowledge Cooperative Research Centre: Alice Springs, NT.)
Edwards, G., Zeng, B., Saalfeld, K., and Vaarzon-Morel, P. (2010). Evaluation of the impacts of feral camels. The Rangeland Journal 32, 43–54.
| Evaluation of the impacts of feral camels.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Edwards, G., Digby, D., O’Leary, P., Rafferty, D., Jensen, M., Woolnough, A., Secomb, N., Williams, M., Schwartzkopff, K., and Bryan, R. (2016). Planning and conducting aerial culling operations for feral camels. The Rangeland Journal 38, 153–162.
Fagerstone, K. A., Coffey, M. A., Curtis, P. D., Dolbeer, R. A., Killian, G. J., Miller, L. A., and Wilmot, L. M. (2002). Wildlife fertility control. Wildlife Society Technical Review 02–2, pp. 29.
Fleming, P., Corbett, L., Harden, R., and Thomson, P. (2001). ‘Managing the Impacts of Dingoes and Other Wild Dogs.’ (Bureau of Rural Sciences: Canberra, ACT.)
Hampton, J. O., Jones, B., Perry, A. L., Miller, C. J., and Hart, Q. (2016). Integrating animal welfare into wild herbivore management: lessons from the Australian Feral Camel Management Project. The Rangeland Journal 38, 163–171.
Hart, Q., and Bomford, M. (2006). ‘Science for Decision Makers: Australia’s Pest Animals: New Approaches to Old Problems.’ (Bureau of Rural Sciences: Canberra, ACT.)
Hart, Q., and Bubb, A. (2016). Effective collaboration and governance processes to underpin large-scale natural resource management projects: the Australian Feral Camel Management Project experience. The Rangeland Journal 38, 117–123.
Invasive Species Council (2012). Recreational hunting NSW: claims v facts. Invasive Species Council fact sheet. Available at: http://invasives.org.au/files/2014/02/fs_rechunt2_NSWvfacts.pdf (accessed 10 December 2015).
Lethbridge, M., Saalfeld, K. W., and Edwards, G. P. (2016). Measured reductions in the density of camels under the Australian Feral Camel Management Project. The Rangeland Journal 38, 173–179.
Moseby, K., and Read, J. (2006). The efficacy of feral cat, fox and rabbit exclusion fence designs for threatened species protection. Biological Conservation 127, 429–437.
| The efficacy of feral cat, fox and rabbit exclusion fence designs for threatened species protection.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
Ninti One Ltd (2013). ‘Managing the Impacts of Feral Camels across Remote Australia.’ Final report of the Australian Feral Camel Management Project. (Eds M. McGregor, Q. Hart, A. Bubb and R. Davies.) Available at: www.nintione.com.au/resource/ManagingImpactsFeralCamels_FinalReportAFCMP.pdf (accessed 10 December 2015).
Saalfeld, W. K., and Edwards, G. P. (2010). Distribution and abundance of the feral camel (Camelus dromedarius) in Australia. The Rangeland Journal 32, 1–9.
| Distribution and abundance of the feral camel (Camelus dromedarius) in Australia.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
South Australia Government (1989). Pastoral Land Management and Conservation Act 1989. Available at: www.legislation.sa.gov.au (accessed 10 December 2015).
South Australia Government (1991). Native Vegetation Act 1991. Available at: www.legislation.sa.gov.au (accessed 10 December 2015).
Virtue, J. G., Gee, P. D., Secomb, N. M., O’Leary, P. R., and Grear, B. P. (2016). Facilitating feral camel removal in Australia through commercial use. The Rangeland Journal 38, 143–151.
Walters, C., and Holling, C. (1990). Large-scale management experiments and learning by doing. Ecology 71, 2060–2068.
| Large-scale management experiments and learning by doing.Crossref | GoogleScholarGoogle Scholar |
