A recent report published by Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), Assessment of the impact of wild dogs on the Western Australian rangeland goat industry, identifies wild dogs as the major factor currently contributing to a precipitous decline in rangeland goat production in Western Australia.
The report estimates goat losses from wild dogs are worth
about $11 million in lost total annual farm gate income for Western
Australian rangeland goat producers. This is based on an estimated
stable and sustainable rangeland goat population of 900,000 head, with a
modest harvest rate of 35%, or 315,000 head annually. The current
annual rangeland goat harvest is approximately 65,000 head.
The MLA report concludes that the significant investment of time and
effort in wild dog control which has recently occurred is delivering
results; however, in Western Australia, a state badly affected by this
problem, there is no system or metric to objectively monitor the results
of this control. The report recommends local implementation of the National Wild Dog Action Plan, which provides guidance to reliably and demonstrably achieve the required control.
Read the report from MLA and access the National Wild Dog Action Plan.
