Local authorities in Australia’s Northern Territory are set to begin unprecedented aerial shooting of feral animals threatening major environmental and cultural sites, according to local media.
About 20,000 feral buffalo, horses, cattle, donkeys and pigs are roaming the South East Arnhem Land Indigenous Protected Area and the Northern Land Council, which helps traditional owners manage the land, wants to cut the number of feral animals by about half to reduce their impact on sensitive areas, the ABC news channel reported on Saturday.
Aerial shooting targeting buffalo and horses is expected to roll out in the next few weeks, mostly in remote areas inaccessible by vehicles, according to the channel.
The aerial cull is part of a three-year environmental management plan.
“The wetlands in that zone are particularly vulnerable, particularly to the impact of buffalo, and so there are areas that have been identified as high value in the wetlands,” the council’s regional program coordinator Mike Carmody was quoted as saying.
“And the problem isn’t just feral animals, the feral animals then exacerbate things by introducing weeds, and it gives us a combination of issues which cause us grief in those special areas.”
Louise Bilato, who heads the local buffalo industry group, was quoted as saying that the latest moves to control the animal numbers were “concerning”, with demand for buffalo “currently outstripping supply”.
“The exporters are talking to as many producers as possible and are keen to get as many as they can,” Bilato said.
“Like last year, demand far exceeds supply, so part of the NT Buffalo Industry Council’s desire is that we don’t do the aerial culling where we can see musterers go, in consultation with traditional owners.”
