Renewal of aerial baiting exemption in Victoria for wild dog control using 1080
A joint submission from 26 scientists has been sent to the Victorian state government urging them to reconsider the use of aerial (1080) baiting for the control of wild dogs (aka dingoes).
The Victorian state government has recently sought renewal of special permission from the Commonwealth under Sections 18 and 18A of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Commonwealth) to undertake aerial 1080 baiting in six Victorian locations for the management of ‘wild dogs’.
These 26 scientists consider aerial baiting to be of serious concern for the persistence of two species listed as threatened and protected in Victoria: 1) dingoes and 2) spot-tailed quolls (Dasyurus maculatus). Importantly, the conservation of dingoes and spot-tailed quolls in Victoria is incompatible with continued aerial baiting.
We urged the state government to:
reconsider the application for 1080 aerial baiting permission in Victoria.
endorse the dingo unambiguously (irrespective of taxonomy) as ‘a threatened species of conservation priority’
develop a management strategy in Victoria that preserves and protects existing dingoes (including high-content hybrids)
undertake culturally appropriate consultation with the First Peoples of Australia, some of whom consider dingoes to be a totem animal