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In a bid to eradicate feral animals from MSW forests the government has declared 31 State Forests open for hunting. Conservation hunting will soon be permitted in the Benandarah, Bodalla, Bolaro, Boyne, Clyde, Dampier, Moruya, Shallow Crossing, Wandella, and Wandera state forests. NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald has reported the hunting areas will be in place for at least the next five years.

Accredited and licensed hunters will be issued with licenses by the Game Council of NSW to hunt feral animals such as foxes, wild dogs, pigs, goats, rabbits, cats, horses and deer that cause a degradation of native plants and animals.

Yellow warning signs, notifying members of the public that feral animal eradication will be taking place have been erected at the entrance of designated State forests, these areas are also listed on government agency websites.

These Public lands will not be closed whilst feral animal control activities are taking place, however constraints will exist in forests with high public use and licensed hunting activities will be suspended in the case of public events being staged on declared public land.

Signs posted at a number of forests in the Eurobodalla and Bega Valley Shires have stirred concerns about public safety.

National Parks Association Executive officer Andrew Cox has said the NPA is “furious that the plan affecting 419,000 ha of State forests has gone ahead,” with the Game council failing “to properly consult with the public and respond to concerns.”

NSW Minister for Primary Industries, Ian Macdonald, who overseas the Game Council has responded to the debate saying “feral animals…are causing serious degradation to the natural environment, their control requires a strategic approach using a range of measures, including trapping, baiting, and sometimes biological control. Shooting should only be carried out by professionals.”

Hunter access to declared land will be managed through a booking system, operated by the NSW Game Council in consultation with the local public land managers. In some cases the public land managers may choose to manage hunter access.

The number of hunters permitted to enter an area will be determined by the Game Council NSW in conjunction with the public land manager and may vary according to topography, terrain, land use, vegetation, location, public use and hunting methods.

Stringent regulations apply to hunters participating in feral animal control. With the Game Council stating that only accountable, educated and ethical hunters will be involved with the control program, hunters must hold a current Restricted NSW Game Hunting Licence (R-Licence) and have written permission from the land manager to be involved with the control program.

These hunters must have completed adequate training and must be a member of a Game Council Approved Hunting Organization as a prerequisite to the R-Licence.

The R-License will not be available to people found guilty of offences in the previous 10 years, including cruelty or harm to animals, personal violence, damage to property, unlawful entry onto land, or releasing animals into the wild for the purposes of hunting.

Licensed hunters from the South Coast area have responded to community concerns over safety saying all licensed hunters must abide by a mandatory Hunter Code of practice which includes positively identifying the target before taking a shot, only firing unless they absolutely identify the target and being aware of where the bullet will go if the target is missed.

South Coast hunters wish to alleviate public concerns stating that “safety is paramount, everything revolves around safety and all licensed shooters are bound to practice ethical and responsible hunting methods”.

Local hunters have expressed they are voluntarily combining their recreational skills and absorbing the financial costs in a bid to assist with the control of feral animals which are degrading native habitats and endangering native species

NSW Department of Primary Industries Lynette McLeod has said targeted responsible shooting plays an important role in control actions regarding foxes, which are “a major threat to a range of native fauna and cost about$227 million a year in damage to the environment and control measures”.

The NSW DPI and the Sporting Shooters Association of Australia and the Game Council NSW are working together on a research project to gather data regarding the effectiveness of shooting as a control method for foxes.

Under the Game and Feral Animal Control Act 2002, declared public land may include areas managed by Forests NSW or the Department of Lands. It does not include National Parks and Wildlife Service managed estate, land under the Wilderness Act 1987 or land under the Western Lands Act 1901.

The NSW Game Council, is a statutory authority which was set up under the Game and Feral Animal Control Act to provide for the effective management of introduced species of game and feral animals, and to promote responsible and orderly hunting of those animals on both public and private land.

The Nature Conservation Council have a number of concerns related to hunters controlling feral animals in State forests. Some of those concerns include the “possible risk to public safety”…the “poor consultation in this process, including failure to consult neighbouring landholders”…and “the impact of this on sensitive environments and threatened species”.

A media release from the NCC also reports that the “act which claims to be protecting the environment has nothing to do with science or conservation…it will promote game hunting which is in conflict with sustainable pest animal management”.

In addition to that the NCC claim there are no genuine independent monitors, regulators or authorities to ensure that hunters do not abuse the extensive powers provided by this new law.

Lee Rhiannon from the Greens has said “we certainly need to control feral animals, but it needs to be left in the hands of professionals”…”putting hunters into the State forests is bad news, it’s bad for the environment, for animal welfare and for public safety.”

Also opposed to hunters in State forests is the Keep Forests Safe Organization, who are concerned “about the way in which legislation is being implemented and the resulting impact on public safety”.

KFS say the Game Council neglects “to inform the public exactly when and where hunters will be active in State forests (and) refuses to consider an opt-in system of buffer zones between adjoining properties and hunting areas”.

A list of affected forests can be found under www.begavalley.com/keepforestssafe.html

The Keep Forests Safe organization will be hosting a meeting to express community concerns about hunting in state forests will bde held tonight Wednesday June 28, in the Sapphire Room at the Merimbula Bowling Club starting at 6:30pm.