Leschenault Biosecurity Group sets up feral pig control site in response to landholder reported pig activity.  Over the month of October 2022, the LBG assisted in the successful removal of approximately 50 pigs across our operational area.  This is a testament to the effective collaboration and persistent, hard work of our field officers, contractors and participating landholders.

Feral Pig Control remains a key focus for the Leschenault Biosecurity Group.

Our team members remain actively engaged in planning, information sharing and on-ground activities toward reducing the impacts and threats caused by feral pigs to our environment, agriculture and more.  The group’s focus includes remaining abreast of current priorities, challenges, successes and best practice guidance and on-ground control efforts to better provide for sustained, coordinated and collaborative, effective feral pig management.

Our activities include

  • on-ground control activities working directly with participating landholders within our operational area:
  • participation in national, state and catchment level for strategic planning and information sharing regarding priorities, challenges and successes through video-conferencing meetings, webinars, and where feasible, face-to-face forums.

National engagement:

    • LBG remains aware of and actively supports the National Feral Pig Action Plan on-going development efforts
    • Our team endeavours to effectively share and use related information to optimise feral pig management within our operational area
    • LBG’s Feral Pig Control program,  has recently been included on the National Feral Pig Action Plan (NFPAP) online info hub, with focus on our use the HOGGONE Feral Pig Control System and will be the topic of one of their upcoming newsletters

State-wide engagement:

    • LBG is active member of The Western Australia Feral Pig Advisory Group,(WAFAG). This group was formed earlier this year as an outcome of the state Feral Pig Strategy 2020-2025.
    • The intention of this group is to provide feedback on a broad scale to as many pig- centric stakeholders and organisations in WA, and to facilitate in linking up people, programs and resources across tenure in the aim of reducing the impact of feral pigs across our great state. The committee consists of voluntary board members, and non-voting members from DPIRD who have given much of their time and expertise this year to get the group up and running. We hope to expand our broader engagement over the coming months in meaningful ways and aim to share success stories with the broader feral pig management network in WA
    • Two LBG officers were voted into voluntary positions on this group’s board. The committee had its second board meeting in October 2022 at The Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD’s) office in South Perth.
    • There is a tremendous amount of work being done across the state in feral pig control.  Following are some of the issues being explored:
      • State Feral Pig Code of Practice
      • Foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) and Feral Pigs
      • Health Surveillance monitoring- Japanese Encephalitis Virus (JEV)
      • Increasing communication and program awareness of pig management projects across the state
      • Linking up landholders, agencies, technicians and communities with best practice local resources to assist in cross tenure pig management.

Contribute YOUR knowledge, success and concerns:  If you have feral pig related knowledge, management programs, successes or concerns that you would like to share, please contact Kate@lbginc.org.au  Working together across our communities is the most effective way to address the management of this and other significant invasive pests.