Toad Media

MEDIA

11 February 2008

Successful New Weapon for Toad Fight

The relentless march of poisonous cane toads across northern Australia could be halted by something as simple as shade cloth fencing, according to experts with the Stop The Toad Foundation.

Trials set up by STTF volunteers at the end of the 2007 dry season showed that 92 per cent of toads in a given area could be eliminated in just three days by blocking their access to water with shade-cloth barrier fences around dams.

“Cane toads cannot live for more than a few days without water,” said STTF acting manager Russell Gueho.
“If it were not for the dams and windmills erected by station owners to provide water for stock, the toads could not have advanced so rapidly across the Northern Territory. When natural waterholes disappear at the end of the dry season, the toads use station dams as refuges.

“In the STTF’s second Great Toad Muster last September/October we proved it was simple and cost-effective to put 50cm shade cloth barriers within existing dam fences. The toads could not jump the barriers and piled up in their hundreds around the fences, to be easily collected by our volunteers.”

Mr Gueho said the removal of 48,000 cane toads from Auvergne Station in the Northern Territory during STTF’s first toad muster in 2006 had significantly reduced the numbers remaining to breed. This was shown by the massive reduction of sub-adult toads caught in the second muster - from about 50 per cent of the total in 2006 to about 2.5 per cent in 2007.

“We virtually removed an entire age class,” he said.

A total of 12,004 toads were taken during the four weeks of the 2007 muster, plus many thousands of metamorphs and tadpoles killed with bleach-based sprays. Overall about 20,000 toads were removed from the area by the combined efforts of STTF and its volunteers and other groups.

But the toad front is getting closer to WA, with outbreaks discovered on Newry Station, about 70km from the border, and Bullo Station, about 50km further east.

“The toads will use the station dams as refuges during the dry season as the billabongs and other natural water systems dry up,” said Mr Gueho.

“We believe if we can set up a series of portable fences late in the dry season we can take out a significant number of toads. This would be far more cost-effective than running large numbers of volunteers.

“Two people can erect the shade cloth and two people can monitor the fence and virtually eliminate the toads in a given area, instead of having 10 people over a skirmish line with no certainty of catching every toad.

“The cost of fencing is negligible. We spent $2000 to fence about 1km last year, and the fences can be removed and taken to the next dam very easily. Our trials have shown that native fauna can either jump or climb the fence or pass through small mesh gates that adult toads cannot fit through.

“This fencing strategy is simple and cost-effective and it can make it possible to get the last cane toad in a given area.

“I am passionate about it. I really think we can make a difference. I can see a coordinated approach right across the Northern Territory and even into Queensland, with support from volunteer groups, local communities and governments.

“If we could fence 100 or more dams across northern Australia we could probably pick up 1 million cane toads in one hit. It could have a major effect on the population.”

Comment and good quality images of cane toads and the toad fence available from:
Graeme Sawyer 0411 881 378 Russell Gueho 0408 954 254

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