Dingoes in north-western Victoria,which are locked in an “extinction vortex”,will again be listed as a protected species. But the animals will still be subject to a bounty in other parts of the state.
Effective today,the Victorian government has removed an order that gave farmers,hunters and Parks Victoria employees the right to shoot,trap and poison dingoes on private land in Victoria,and on public land within three kilometres of any private land boundary,between Mildura and Warracknabeal.
Last year an order “unprotecting” dingoes – removing them from the list of protected species in Victoria – was made on the recommendation of former environment minister Ingrid Stitt,former agriculture minister Gayle Tierney and former outdoor recreation minister Sonya Kilkenny.
That order acknowledged dingoes in the Big Desert,in the Mallee region of north-west Victoria,were in an “extinction vortex”,with the dwindling population small,isolated and of limited genetic diversity.
“Without intervention,the dingo is on a trajectory that will lead ultimately to local extinction,” the advice read.
Animals Australia launched aSupreme Court challenge to the order,and the first day of the hearing was set for March 22.
On Thursday,Environment Minister Steve Dimopoulos and Agriculture Minister Ros Spence issued a joint statement saying the “unprotection order” would be lifted in the north-west of the state following “new research,strong advice and the effectiveness of non-lethal dingo control methods to protect livestock”.
It’s estimated there are fewer than 40 dingoes left in the state’s north-west.
“The dingo population in north-west Victoria is under threat of extinction,that’s why we’re making these changes to protect an important part of the ecosystem,” Dimopoulos said.
Farmers will be supported by a $550,000 investment to adopt alternative non-lethal control methods via a pilot of measures such as exclusion fencing and guardian animals.
The wild dog component of the current Fox and Wild Dog Bounty Program will end in the north-west.
Dingoes will continue to be unprotected in the eastern part of the state,between Wodonga,Bairnsdale,Seymour and Mallacoota.