The federal government has been slammed for ignoring the “exploding” feral pig population in regional Australia, as numbers grow amid favourable weather conditions across multiple states.
NSW-based recreational pig hunter and Out West Dogging owner James Sutton said he is continuing to see feral pig populations increase in his local area of Dubbo.
“We’re seeing huge numbers, especially in the cropping areas around Coonamble, Walgett, also around the Nyngan areas —the numbers are just flying out of proportion,” he said.
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“Obviously the farmers hate them. They get in there and trample all their crops, down the fences … it’s unbelievable.”
The NSW Government Feral Pig and Pest Program said it eliminated approximately 223,000 to 250,000 feral pigs over a recent three-year period through extensive aerial shooting, trapping, and baiting programs.
However, hunters like Sutton said it’s not enough, and more incentives need to be offered to prompt more people to help control the population boom.
“I think if the government goes down the line of doing this $20 tail bounty, that’s going to help a lot of people go out and do a bit more hunting,” he said.
James Sutton with son Jarryd and friend (pictured) doing their part in bringing down the feral pig population in NSW’s central west. Credit: Supplied
In some states, regional councils operate pest bounty programs that offer a reward for every feral animal tail, scalp, or snout collected.
“It’ll certainly help get the numbers down. But they need to be careful of that as well, because then you’ll just get every numpty, bloody going out trying to catch pigs and trespassing on properties,” Sutton said.
“The government’s got to come at the problem from different angles, not just rely on shooting and poison.”
Sutton said part of the problem also stemmed from fewer hunters looking to kill pigs, with their meat no longer bought by game meat processing facilities, known as chillers.
“They’re not buying pigs anymore at the chillers. That’s the biggest problem. So the roo shooters, they’re not touching (pigs) because they don’t need to shoot them — they can’t get any money for them,” he said.
Pigs were brought from Europe to Australia by the First Fleet in 1788 as livestock, but those that escaped established wild populations that have expanded over time.
A single sow can have up to two litters of 10 piglets every year, with populations spiking after wet weather when food is in abundance.
Feral pig population density across Australia. Credit: National Feral Pig Action Plan
In 2021, it was estimated Queensland had up to 2.3 million feral pigs, with current estimates suggest there are upwards of 26 million feral pigs across the country.
As well as causing physical damage to farmland and crops, feral pigs also carry diseases which can spread to pets and even people.
“I’ve seen a lot of pigs with tuberculosis, that’s running rife through them in some areas out west,” Sutton said.
“They’re more likely to give it to other animals on farms, and people have lost dogs through this tuberculosis.
“I had a good friend of mine lose a dog and then he had to go and get blood tests every two weeks for around six weeks to make sure they hadn’t caught it as well. So that’s pretty scary sometimes.”
Last week Queensland Senator Susan McDonald took aim at the Albanese Government saying feral pigs were continuing to tear through farms, waterways and wetlands and were leaving behind “millions of dollars in damage and devastation for producers already under enormous pressure”.
Feral pigs pose a biosecurity risk as they carry disease that can affect livestock. Credit: AAP
McDonald said Canberra cannot continue to ignore the “growing crisis” facing regional Australia and stronger federal involvement was urgently needed to protect Australia’s “food security, biosecurity reputation and regional economies” from the threat posed by feral pigs.
“Australia’s feral pig crisis is spiraling out of control. Every day government delays meaningful action, the infestation grows and the damage compounds,” McDonald said.
“Across Australia, producers are watching crops destroyed overnight, fencing ripped apart, water systems contaminated and native habitats obliterated.”
McDonald cited experts who said around 70 per cent of the feral pig population must be removed to reduce numbers, with as many as 15 million pigs needing to be culled every year for the number to stagnate.
“These pests breed rapidly, spread disease and cause untold devastation to agriculture and the environment, yet regional Australians are being left to fight this battle largely on their own,” she said.
“The Environment Department’s blame game simply doesn’t stack up. They spend billions on the reef and impose strict regulations on farmers to reduce sediment run-off, yet when it comes to this issue they suddenly claim it’s ‘not an environmental problem’ and tell producers to take it up with the Agriculture Department.”
In January, the Queensland Government announced aerial shooters had been engaged to reduce feral pig numbers during flood recovery.
While the floodwaters are high, feral pigs are trapped on higher ground or are slow moving through boggy terrain, presenting ideal conditions for aerial control activity, the state government said.
Federal Emergency Management Minister Kristy McBain said the amount of fencing that has been damaged during recent flood has allowed feral pigs to roam through more areas and may cause major issues and further losses if not acted upon.
In 2023, the Australian Bureau of Agriculture and Resource Economics and Sciences (ABARES) put the cost of feral pigs to the national economy at $156 million annually; $95 million of this was production losses and direct control costs in Queensland.
“If the federal government is serious about biosecurity, then it must get serious about feral pests,” McDonald said.
“That means proper long-term funding, coordinated control programs and real support for the producers and communities on the frontline.”
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