June 4, 2018
KAP State Member for Hill Shane Knuth is determined to protect the billion dollar agriculture Industry from diseases such as Panama TR4, by tacking one of its biggest threats, feral pigs, through an aerial feral pig shooting program.
Mr. Knuth has met with Agriculture Minister Mark Furner to update him on the severe threat feral pigs pose to the regions agriculture business, through the spread of deadly diseases such as Panama TR4 from property to property.
Knuth also met with the Deputy Premier & Treasurer Jackie Trad with a proposal to secure extra funding for the program in the upcoming budget.
“While we welcome the States Governments $1million funding across the board towards protecting agriculture and the feral pig problems in the region, much more is needed. Only a fraction has been put aside for aerial shooting, which is proven to be the most effective way of controlling one of the main spreaders of disease and destruction of crops, feral pigs,” said Mr Knuth.
“I have met with experts on the ground. They are concerned that without dedicated extra funding towards an aerial feral pig shooting program, diseases such as Panama could continue to spread and the feral pig population continue to escalate, placing the regions various agriculture industries under severe threat.
I stressed with both the Minister and the Deputy Premier that banana farmers have been hit with strict Bio security measures which is understandable. However this has now limited access to properties to hunt feral pigs, increasing the potential spread of Panama. Aerial shooting is the only option and securing additional funding towards the program, in combination with Bio Security efforts on the ground, will allow us to drastically reduce the number of feral pigs on these properties and those coming out of national park land adjacent to agricultural properties.
There are already qualified marksmen and helicopter pilots in the region who can immediately start and I am confident that after my meetings, the Government will see this is the best chance we have at protecting agriculture in the region, control the feral pig population and help stop the spread of diseases such as Panama TR4,” added Mr Knuth.