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The Victorian Government has announced their plans to renew the Order in Council that renders dingoes as ‘unprotected fauna’ in parts of the state for another 12 months. Under these regulations dingoes are able to be shot, trapped or baited on private land as well as public lands such as National Parks.
Humane Society International (HSI) Australia has long campaigned for dingo protection and called for the Order in Council to be revoked. The animal welfare and conservation organisation has met with the Victorian Government to discuss effective, non-lethal tools and practices, and has championed ‘Predator Smart Farming’ strategies nation-wide to coexist with dingoes.
Evan Quartermain, Head of Programs at HSI Australia said:
“Dingoes are classed as a threatened species in Victoria, but it’s making little difference to the dingoes that were sentenced to another year of trapping, poisoning and shooting.
“This ‘Order in Council’ has led to thousands of dingoes suffering prolonged, painful deaths, using methods like shooting, leg hold traps and poison baiting. This was our opportunity to protect them from unnecessary persecution, but the Victorian Government has failed.
“Dingoes are native animals of high conservation priority due to their ecological, cultural and evolutionary identity. Not only are they essential to healthy ecosystems, but to protect dingoes is to respect their cultural significance to First Nations people.
“Landholders don’t need to be using lethal measures to protect farm animals from predation. There are successful strategies, like using guardian animals, that will achieve a win-win for farmers and dingoes.
“That the Victorian Government has not even partially reduced the huge area that this cruel and unnecessary killing takes place is beyond disappointing.”
In 2008, the dingo was listed as a Threatened species in Victoria under the Flora and Fauna Guarantee Act 1988. This listing resulted in the dingo being a protected species under the Wildlife Act 1975. However, an Order in Council rendered dingoes as an unprotected species on all private land in Victoria as well as public land within 3 km of any private land boundary.
For the next 12 months the Order in Council continues to operate in the same regions (Mallee, Gippsland and northeast Victoria) as it has for the last three years, with no reductions made by the Victorian government.
There have been significant advances in the methods that mitigate farm animal predation and retain dingoes in the landscape. HSI Australia created a publicly downloadable ‘Predator Smart Farming’ guide, which showcases these methods, which include guardian dogs and donkeys, predator deterrents, livestock husbandry and land management practices.
ENDS
Media contact: Hannah Clayton | 0434 269 048 | hclayton@hsi.org.au
Humane Society International (HSI) is the world’s largest animal protection organisation and HSI Australia established our office in 1994. We work to create a humane and sustainable world for animals advocating across wildlife conservation and animal welfare policy areas.
