POLICIES 4.3 Biosecurity and management of threats to indigenous species, habitats and ecosystems
4.3(a) National park management plans should identify the threats and relative risks posed by introduced plants, animals, pathogens and diseases to indigenous species, habitats and ecosystems at places.
4.3(b) National biosecurity and pest management priorities to protect indigenous species should include populations within national parks.
4.3(c) National park biosecurity and pest management should:
- i) seek to maximise outcomes for the benefit of indigenous species, habitats and ecosystems;
- ii) provide for single and multiple species measures where identified in a national park management plan; and
- iii) take into account statutory pest management strategies.
4.3(d) National park biosecurity and pest management should give priority to:
- i) preventing introduced plants and animals becoming established, including illegal and inadvertent transfers;
- ii) eradicating new incursions of introduced plants and animals, where practicable;
- iii) eradicating, where practicable, and containing and reducing the range of established introduced plants and animals; and
- iv) controlling widespread introduced species where necessary to maintain the general welfare of national park indigenous species, habitats and ecosystems or to maintain scenic and landform values.
4.3(e) Biosecurity and pest management may include control of indigenous species, sports fish, and game birds, where necessary to protect or restore threatened populations of indigenous species, habitats and ecosystems with unique or distinctive values.
4.3(f) The introduction of biological control organisms into national parks, pursuant to section 5A of the National Parks Act 1980, should be authorised only to control species that cannot be effectively controlled in other ways.
4.3(g) Biological control organisms (or their progeny), approved for introduction into a national park, which become a problem or adversely affect indigenous organisms or have a negative impact on any ecosystem subsequent to introduction, may be exterminated.
4.3(h) Cooperation and coordination will be sought with other agencies and land managers on the periphery of national parks, to achieve concerted action against introduced plants and animals which threaten national park values.
4.3(i) Commercial hunting of wild animals and animal pests should be encouraged to maximise the effective control of them, while minimising any adverse effects of hunting on planned outcomes at places.
4.3(j) Recreational hunting of wild animals and animal pests should be encouraged where this does not diminish the effectiveness of operations to control them and is consistent with planned outcomes at places.
4.3(k) The ecological effects of pest management within national parks should be monitored. In particular, monitoring should measure:
- i) the effectiveness of control methods in meeting pest management, and indigenous habitat or ecosystem maintenance or restoration objectives;
- ii) the impact on indigenous non-target species; and
- iii) any other detrimental effects.
4.3(l) Education programmes should be developed and provided about the effects plant and animal pests and diseases have on national park values, and about ways that the public can avoid their introduction and spread.
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