Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Table 12.1
(Con't.)
Species
Type of
control tool
'Traps'
Shooting
Poison
Biocontrol
++
+
+
Grey squirrel (
Sciurus
carolinensis
)
0
+
+
++
Macaque (
Macaca
fascicularis
)
0
+
++
Mouse (
Mus
musculus
)
0
0
++
+
+
Nutria (
Myocaster
coypus
)
0
++
+++
++
Feral pig (
Sus
scrofa
)
0
+
+
+++
+++
Rabbit (
Oryctolagus
cuniculus
)
+
+++
+
Red deer (
Cervus
elaphus
)
0
++
+
+++
Red fox (
Vulpes
vulpes
)
0
+
++
Ship rat (
Rattus
rattus
)
0
0
++
+
+
Mongoose (
Herpestes
javanicus
)
0
++
++
Stoat (
Mustela
erminea
)
0
0
As an example of the main problems, the common myna is a growing, but unre-
solved, pest in subtropical and tropical areas around the world (e.g. Freifeld 1999).
h e tools to control or eradicate them include live-traps, nest snares, shooting,
and poisoned baits. However, all of these have drawbacks when dealing with a
smart, social bird such as the myna. What is required is the development of a more
eff ective primary control tool that achieves high percentage kills without teach-
ing the birds avoidance behaviours (e.g. the use of delayed-action toxins such as
DRC1339 rather than the acute chloral hydrate now commonly used), followed
by a sequence of control tools (nest snares, traps, shooting) applied in order of least
disturbance to kill survivors—at least when eradication is the aim (Parkes 2006b).
New tactics and appropriate intervention strategies would lead to better policies
and confi dence that the problems can be managed by those responsible for deal-
ing with mynas. In other words, we need a strategy to apply the three elements we
raised in the introduction to this paper—funding policy, eff ective delivery instru-
ments, and knowledge on where to apply them—not just a set of tools.
