Victorian Pest Animals

Carp | Foxes | Rabbits | Wild Dogs

Minimising the impact of pest plants and pest animals is a key aspect of sustainable land and water management. Pests are a major cause of degradation to Victoria's catchments and rivers and impact heavily on a wide range of agricultural and biodiversity assets. Pests represent a major threat to both the productive capacity of our land and water and the integrity of our natural ecosystems. Investment in pest management through a combination of preventative and ongoing control measures is vital to achieve healthy and productive landscapes. The Victorian Pest Management – A Framework for Action (VPMF) (external link) has been developed to provide strategic direction for the management of declared and potential pests in Victoria.

Carp

Common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) is an important pest fish species in Australasia and North America. Feral carp probably comprise the largest fish biomass and are the most numerous large fish species across Australia’s largest river catchment, the Murray-Darling Basin. The invasive species is now found in many of the foremost freshwaters of southern Australia, including many coastal catchments and two Tasmanian lakes. Feral carp are widely implicated in degradation of freshwater aquatic resources worldwide; and both the resource management and broader communities are currently seeking effective control measures.

To facilitate effective control measures DPI has developed a software application to simulate likely outcomes from a range of pest management activities on carp populations in Australia. This software can be download for free from the CarpSim section on VRO.

Relevant DPI Information Notes

Freshwater Fish of Victoria: Carp

Carp in Victoria

Foxes

The European fox was introduced to Australia for hunting in the mid 1800s and has proved to be an adaptable and elusive predator and scavenger. Despite various management efforts, the fox is now common throughout Victoria and most of southern mainland Australia. Foxes are a major threat to the survival of native fauna. While the impact of foxes on livestock is not yet fully understood, foxes are known to kill livestock, particularly the young. Some studies indicate foxes may account for up to 30% of the deaths of newborn lambs. ‘Predation by the European Red Fox’ is listed as a key threatening process under the Flora and Fauna
Guarantee Act. Fox management is a community issue, as effective management of foxes directly
benefits the whole community.

Relevant DPI Information Notes

Foxes - integrated fox control

Foxes - control in urban and urban fringe areas

Foxes and their impact

Further Information

The Fox Management Strategy of the 'Victorian Pest Management - A Framework for Action' (external link) is available for download from the DSE website.

Rabbits

Rabbits are the most serious vertebrate pest in Victoria, causing major environmental and economic damage. In the past rabbits have defied attempts to reduce their numbers to low levels on a long-term basis. Rabbits occur throughout all climatic zones and land types. Many infestations occur in areas where management is difficult and/or costly to implement. Rabbit management is a community issue as effective management of rabbits directly benefits the whole community.

Relevant DPI Information Notes

Rabbits and their impact - provides information on the economic and environmental impact of rabbits

Rabbits - control in urban areas

Rabbits - methods of fumigating rabbit burrows

Monitoring rabbit populations

Rabbit control using Pindone poison

Rabbit control in wildlife habitat

Rabbit proof fencing

Further Information

The Rabbit Management Strategy of the 'Victorian Pest Management - A Framework for Action' (external link) is available for download from the DSE website.

Wild Dogs

In Victoria, wild dogs occur on public land in the alpine areas of Gippsland and the North East and have been reported in the western Mallee. While wild dogs are not recognised as a threat to native fauna in most circumstances, they can affect agricultural enterprises. The majority of the damage is caused by wild dogs moving from public land onto adjoining private land to attack livestock, particularly sheep. Wild dogs have both an economic and social impact on the communities where they are present.

The Wild Dog Management Strategy of the 'Victorian Pest Management - A Framework for Action' (external link) is available for download from the DSE website.

Relevant DPI Information Notes

Wild dogs and dingoes in Victoria

References

Victorian Pest Management - A Framework for Action (external link) - former Department of Natural Resources and Environment 2002.

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