Readily available poisons used to control feral pig numbers could soon be banned in Queensland.
This month the state government announced a plan to amend the Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 to ban the use of poisons that included carbon disulphide and phosphorus, marketed as CSSP.
Amid the growing risk of diseases like foot-and-mouth and African swine fever spreading to Australia, concerns have been raised about the impact feral pig populations have in spreading viruses.
Darren Marshall, who works in feral animal management across Queensland, says it will be "virtually impossible" to stop the spread of disease if control methods are limited.
"It would be absolutely detrimental if these toxins are taken away, because our other control methods just do not kill enough feral pigs," he said.
"It's real — if feral pigs get these diseases they will spread much faster than it would without them."
Prolific breeders
There are a number of methods used to control feral pig numbers, including trapping or aerial shooting, but using toxins such as CSSP, 1080 and others are widely accepted to be the most effective.
Without access to CSSP – which is readily available to landowners – and a dwindling stockpile of 1080, there is a growing gap in options for controlling pig numbers.
Darren Marshall said in order to effectively control pig numbers, at least 75 per cent of the population had to be culled over a three-month period.
"One sow can have up to 12 piglets per litter, twice a year," he said.
"The population growth just explodes … we're fighting the breeding rate and we're not killing enough to take them out.
Mr Marshall said a combination of methods was needed to effectively manage numbers and toxins were a vital component.
"Feral pigs breed prolifically and if landholders don't have the tools they need to keep a lid on these animals, they really explode."
Expensive threat
Member for Warrego Ann Leahy said the threat feral pigs posed to agricultural industries should not be underestimated and that more needed to be done to ensure landholders effectively and efficiently controlled numbers.
"There's two threats," she said.
"One to human health … and to the biosecurity of our red meat industries."
She said if the ban was passed people would be left with few options.
"They [the government] just don't understand the pressure primary producers are under to control feral animals," she said.
"The ban is coming into place too quickly and it will make it extremely difficult for primary producers to control feral animals."
'Humane options'
In a statement to the ABC, a spokesperson for Biosecurity Queensland said the ban of CSSP would "bring Queensland into line with most other Australian jurisdictions, where more humane control techniques are applied".
"Large amounts of CSSP can cause pigs to die within six or 12 hours," the statement said.
"More humane options for feral pig control include ground and aerial shooting, trapping and baiting with sodium nitrite or 1080.
"These are the options we would recommend in an emergency animal disease response."
