THE Victorian Government has approved the use of helicopter-based snipers to shoot up to 750 koalas in Budj Bim National Park, in what is believed to be the first aerial shooting of koalas in Victoria.
It is believed the aerial cull began in the Budj Bim National Park around 14 March, following the fires which burned around 2200 hectares of land.
The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, overseeing the operation, advised the animals needed to be euthanised for humane reasons, however the announcement has sparked an outcry from wildlife advocates, who question both the ethics and effectiveness of the government’s approach.
Koala Alliance President, Jess Robertson, told the ABC there was “no way they can tell if a koala is in poor condition from a helicopter”.
Premier Jacinta Allan has endorsed the department’s approach saying: “… this approach was deemed the way to really recognise the koalas were in a lot of distress.”
Wildlife Victoria’s requests to send trained staff and veterinarians to the cull area have been met with silence by the Labor Government.
Shadow Environment Minister, Brad Rowswell said Victorians would be shocked to learn the Allan Government had quietly authorised the aerial shooting of koalas.
“Premier Allan has claimed her government’s decision was informed by independent veterinary and animal welfare advice,” he said.
“If that is true, they should immediately release this advice to the public.”
Shadow Public Land Management Minister, Melina Bath, has also weighed into the issue.
“Before such a significant action is undertaken, every effort should be taken to spare those animals that are not suffering,” she said.
“This blanket approach of shooting every animal from a helicopter rather than individual assessments flies in the face of the most basic animal welfare guidelines and this decision should certainly be re-considered.”
A 2022 report from the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research for DEECA om the Efficacy of aerial control of invasive animals advises The Bushfire Biodiversity Response and Recovery (BBRR) program is a multi-year program that prioritises actions for fire-affected threatened species and habitats.
“Aerial shooting from a helicopter is a key activity being undertaken as part of the BBRR program, targeting invasive animals (deer, feral goats, feral pigs, feral cattle and foxes) in priority fire-affected and adjacent public land in the North East and East Gippsland regions of Victoria. Threatened species and habitats recovering from fire are vulnerable to impacts from invasive species, and aerial control is being used to alleviate these potential impacts,” the report stated.
There was no indication, at that time, the method was desirable to humanely ethanise native species, as required.
More recently, the method has been used to cull brumbies in the Victorian high country, where advocates for the wild horses have produced dozens of images and evidence of horses being shot, but not effectively killed, by aerial shooters; some spending days wounded before succumbing to their injuries.
Budj Bim National Park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019, recognising its cultural and natural significance.
