NESP MaC Project 4.5– Developing an Integrated Pest Management Framework for Feral Pigs in Coastal Environments 2024-2026 (NAILSMA)

This record provides an overview of the NESP Marine and Coastal Hub study - Developing an Integrated Pest Management Framework for Feral Pigs in Coastal Environments. For specific data outputs from this project, please see child records associated with this metadata. Feral pig populations are recognised as a current and future threatening process across most of northern Australia’s species and ecosystems. They severely impact 1) threatened species, such as marine turtles, with up to 90% of egg and hatchling mortality attributable to feral pig predation, 2) culturally important places and 3) coastal wetlands, leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions. To date, feral pig control efforts across northern Australia are small-scale. What data we have suggests pig populations remain high, despite the significant annual investment in control, and there is currently no published evidence that quantifies a predictable relationship between control activities that reduce feral pig populations and the reduction of impacts in different habitat types. A new approach is needed. Integrated Pest Management (IPM) is a well-established approach to pest management in agricultural contexts and, over the last decade, has been successfully adapted for and applied to protecting biodiversity from invasive pest species. The aim of the project is to develop an IPM approach for effective feral pig control for biodiversity and cultural values protection, in coastal wetlands and ecosystems in northern Australia. The science-based IPM approach, informed by workshops with stakeholders and experts, will be implemented in up to three case study areas, principally by Indigenous Land and Sea management organisations and their partners, with data-driven analysis of effectiveness and recommendations for future evolution of the Strategy. This project addresses the Australian Government’s national environmental priorities through mitigating impacts on threatened species, innovation in monitoring and increasing the participation and capacity of Traditional Owners and stakeholders. Planned Outputs • feral pig management case study sites [spatial dataset] • aerial survey data and observational data [tabular, imagery] • model [software] • final technical report with analysed data and a short summary of recommendations for policy makers of key findings [written]