Peel Harvey Biosecurity Group urges landowners to help curb feral pig population

Local landholders are being invited to a free workshop aimed at helping to curb the destructive feral pig population.

Local not-for-profit Peel Harvey Biosecurity Group (PHBG) is hosting the workshop on October 16 covering the best practices to manage the pests.

According to PHBG, feral pigs cost Australia more than $100 million a year in environmental damage and animal predation.

“Pigs can breed prolifically, meaning that ad hoc shooting as a control method will not decrease the population long-term. A new approach is needed if locals want to see less impact,” PHBG Executive Officer Teele Hooper-Worrell said.

“Feral pigs don’t respect property boundaries. In Peel-Harvey, you can find them everywhere from the estuary to the hills. Coordinated programs where neighbours work together to trap entire mobs have been successful in reducing on-property impacts, and local landholders can access trapping options through the PHBG.

“Private landholders are the frontline.

“Your on-property management, reporting, and participation in coordinated programs are what actually reduce pig numbers and protect our farms and natural areas.” 

Landholders interested in setting up a pig trapping and control program on their property should register to attend PHBG’s workshop on Thursday, October 16. 

Register via the website at www.PHBG.org.