Feral Fighters
The Feral Fighters program is a community-based initiative helping neighbouring landholders work together to better manage pest animals at a local, regional and state scale through strategic, coordinated group baiting control programs.
These group programs see neighbouring landholders and the wider community simultaneously bait a larger area, which helps remove more pests and reduces the rate of re-invasion.
WHY BECOME A FERAL FIGHTER?
Feral Fighters are local champions for effective invasive species management, helping protect agricultural production and native biodiversity in their communities.
Pest animals such as feral pigs, wild dogs, foxes and rabbits cause extensive damage in our landscape as they destroy crops, prey on livestock, attack our native species, spread weeds and degrade soil.
All rural landholders in NSW, regardless of whether you own livestock or not, have a shared responsibility to manage these pest animals and by becoming a Feral Fighter, we can help you to meet your duties under the Biosecurity Act 2015.
As part of the program, Local Land Services staff will also be on hand to help you and your neighbours take part in a group control program, which are proven to reduce feral populations over broad areas with more sustainable outcomes.
By joining your local Feral Fighters campaign and becoming a Feral Fighter you are making a commitment to your neighbours, community, local industries and the environment.
Watch the video below to hear from landholders about the benefits they are seeing after joining their local Feral Fighters group.
WHAT SUPPORT WILL I RECEIVE?
Feral Fighters receive local support and resources, depending on what pest your local group is targeting. This can include:
- Free pesticide training, in-person where available or online at any time that suits
- Access to baits to help control pest animals such as feral pigs, wild dogs, foxes and rabbits.
- Up-to-date information, advice and tailored support from your Local Land Services team.
HOW TO GET INVOLVED
Feral Fighters is currently run in the following Local Land Services regions:
To become a Feral Fighter, join a local group, or recruit your neighbours to start your own group, click on your region above to get in contact with your local office or biosecurity officer.
To take part in a Feral Fighters campaign, you must be accredited in the use of pesticides (or under the direct supervision of an accredited person) with an AQF3 Chemical Accreditation or Vertebrate Pesticide Induction Training (VPIT) course accreditation.
PESTICIDE TRAINING
Baiting with pesticides can be the most cost-effective option for reducing large pest animal populations and is an integral part of an integrated pest management program.
Our online Vertebrate Pesticide Induction Training can be completed at any time, at no cost and upon successful completion, you will hold a five-year accreditation to possess and use 1080, Pindone, RHDV and or PAPP baits. Training in the use of vertebrate pesticides helps to ensure you remain compliant with legislation and use pesticides safely and effectively.
REPORTING PEST ANIMAL ACTIVITY
Identifying the movements and behaviour of pest animals allows your Local Land Services team to better target baiting campaigns and other control programs.
To help paint a clearer picture of the movements and behaviour of pest animals in your area, we encourage you to report pest animal activity to your local biosecurity officer or closest Local Land Services office. You can also report this activity on Feral Scan.
RESOURCES
- Pest Smart has developed a range of toolkits to enhance your knowledge when creating pest animal programs. These are available on the Pest Smart website.
- Find out more about managing biosecurity in NSW and your biosecurity responsibilities by heading to the NSW Department of Primary Industries website.
- Pesticide Control Orders (PCOs) are issued by the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to ensure restricted pesticides are used safely. Read more about PCOs on the EPA website.