BIRD
PREDATION
This is a
serious problem for all aquaculturalists whether you grow fish or yabbies. Make no mistake if you have lots of stock in
a pond you will have bird problems. If
birds are not a problem then you probably don’t have much in the ponds. You don’t have a lot of options, your best
bet is to fully net the ponds to keep birds out. This is an expensive hard project to complete but all
commercially viable farmers will consider this the best option.
We see it
all the time, people build ponds and just cant wait to stock them and get
animals growing. The trouble is you
have now created a new food source for predators and you will attract them to
your ponds. In the interim between
stocking and finishing netting you can as a rule use guns to limit the damage
and financial loss that birds can inflict on you. Birds are a protected animal and it is illegal just to start
blasting away at them. Most people who
start into aquaculture usually have a background in recreational fishing and
are aware of shags (cormorants) and have seen how ruthlessly they hunt and kill
fish. This usually leads to a natural
hate of these pests and this can be magnified when its your own fish or yabbies
being killed.
National
Parks and Wildlife Service (NP&WS) is the department responsible for the
protection of shags and serious fines can be involved if someone dobs you in
for shooting shags. NP&WS are
generally quite reasonable and understand that some animals can cause serious
economic damage to farms and does have in place a system to allow you to shoot
birds on you farm. If birds or water
rats or even tortoises are creating damage or economic hardship on private
property, NP&WS may be able to issue the land owner or occupier with a license
allowing you to shoot or trap and kill these native animals. Its generally called a 121 occupiers license
to harm native animals and can be issued under section 121 of the National
Parks and Wildlife Act.
If you are
on the internet you can just down load a copy of the application form and send
it in to you local NP&WS office.
Call up www.nationalparks.nsw.gov.au
and look for licenses and business and then find Occupiers licenses to harm
native animals on private property.
Be warned
that usually an inspection is involved of your property so make sure you don’t
have dead birds lying around everywhere.
Also usually the license only lasts 12 months and they will not advise
you when it runs out so it is up to you to renew it. Additionally they will only give you a license and renew it if
you can demonstrate that you are doing something to remedy the problem i.e. Net
ponds etc. If you have 10 ponds and net
one each year you should be able to get a license for 10 years. Also on your license you may only be able to
shoot 6 birds. This translates to 6/day
or 6/shooting session or 6/hour whatever.
Its an out for NP&WS, if someone complains that they have given a
license to shoot native animals they can say yes but its only for 6.