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Broome-based couple Russell Guého and Vanessa Hayden are behind a new initiative to fight the advance into WA of the cane toad. They have set up Northern Habitat as a business development company based in Broome and operating throughout the Kimberley. The couple has lived in the region for more than 13 years and their passion for the future of the region has urged them to take action against the imminent arrival of the cane toad. Frustration at the lack of response from all government departments, particularly in the environmental sector, has prompted them to organise and stage two public meetings that aim to open the eyes of the public to the potential impacts of this devastating pest. They say that not only are the habitats of the Kimberley and its wildlife at risk but also domestic animals, recreational fishing and Aboriginal culture. The first meeting will be held in Broome on December 16 and the second in Kununurra on December 18. |
These will be followed up by a significant public forum to be run over two days in Kununurra in March 2005. Several keynote speakers have been approached to donate their time to present status information concerning the threat but in the main these people are located in other parts of Australia. Getting them to Broome and Kununurra and then home is where support and assistance is needed. Russell and Vanessa also aim to produce a 'Kimberley Cane Toad' website, produce an education booklet that's easy to use and set up a 1800 information line that people can call with concerns. "But this all takes money and our personal funds fall well short of our desires," Russell said last week. |
In 1935 cane toads were introduced into Australia in what was to become a misguided attempt to control pests in sugar cane. Since then they have devastated habitats in Qld, NSW and the NT. They are now on the march west and some expect them to cross into WA during this wet season. There have been some CSIRO attempts to develop a genetic control mechanism to deplete toad numbers but these are still a long way from providing an outcome. There are also several private researchers who have developed a significant amount of behavioural information, biological information and made inroads into developing physical barriers, traps and attractants that could be used to halt the toads in their tracks. Only recently a cane toad was discovered by Agriculture Department quarantine officers at the WA/NT border. The toad was in a pot plant that a Qld couple was attempting to bring into WA. |