Toad Media
ABC National Rural News
WA prepares to battle cane toad
Wednesday, 9 March 2005
A battle plan has been unveiled to keep Western Australia free
of the dreaded cane toad.
The toads have been steadily moving west in the Northern Territory,
and the plan involves trapping them in remote pastoral country about
300-kilometres from the border.
Alan Thompson, from Save Endangered East Kimberley Species, says
the best times for trapping should be between September and December.
"Cane toads need water, especially in our build-up period.
"There's not much water out there (and) the topography is
going to limit where cane toads can move, and actually survive,
in that landscape - especially in that build-up period.
"That build-up period is the crunch time for cane toads.
"With the cane toad trap, in whatever form it may be, and
some funding to put some staff into manage those traps, I believe
we can have a go at keeping them on that mangrove edge, so they
cannot move in."
Meanwhile South Australia has become the first state to sign up
to the new agreement to handle emergency plant pest and disease
outbreaks.
It outlines new cost-sharing agreements between government and
industry, allowing growers to be reimbursed if their crops or assets
are destroyed by disease outbreaks.
Four industry groups representing grains, canegrowers, bananas,
and apples and pears have also endorsed the deal.
This is a transcript from the ABC National Rural News that is
broadcast daily to all states on ABC Regional Radio's Country Hour
and in the city on ABC News Radio.
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