Toad Media

MEDIA RELEASE

28 July 2011

ISLANDS NOT THE ONLY NOAH’S ARKS IN THE KIMBERLEY

As The Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) plan to use islands off The Kimberley coast to protect native fauna from the cane toad threat, The Stop the Toad Foundation (STTF) are making plans for their own toad free zones.

STTF have already created native fauna sanctuaries in the east Kimberley by fencing off areas from toads. In May this year, STTF staff and volunteers erected a cane toad proof fence at the iconic Emma Gorge on El Questro Wilderness Park.
The fence will allow native animals to move freely through and over it, but block access to cane toads, which are about to arrive at El Questro.

Whilst The Foundation is very supportive of the idea of DEC’s Noah’s Arks, it also believes that some land-based action is required.

“We have discovered through field trials that it is easy to create toad free zones on the land,” said STTF Campaign Manager Kim Hands.

“The fence at Emma gorge was easy to erect and not very expensive. We would like to create many more toad free zones in The Kimberley, especially in National Parks like Purnululu National Park.”

STTF believe that there should be more Government support for the fencing strategy and fences should be erected at other selected sites in The Kimberley to ensure areas of high biodiversity are adequately protected.

“Our fencing strategy will compliment the sea-based sanctuaries perfectly.”

For more information contact STTF’s Campaign Manager Kim Hands on [email protected] or 0400130397.

Fact file

• Toads were introduced into Australia in 1935 in an effort to control beetles eating the sugar cane.
• Toads produce toxins that are deadly to a range of endangered Australian wildlife including northern quolls, goannas, snakes and freshwater crocodiles. They also compete with native wildlife for habitat and food.
• The western frontline of toads is moving at least 40 km a year and toads are now well and truly into The Kimberley.
• Each female toad can lay 35000 eggs. The first rains indicate to the toads it is time to breed.
• STTF is a non-profit, non-government organization established in 2005. There is one staff member, who divides her time between Perth and Kununurra.
• STTF has held The Great Toad Muster for the past 5 years. A total of 200,000 toads have been removed with the help of hundreds of volunteers around Australia.
• The Emma gorge fence is the first toad proof fence to be erected in the East Kimberley. It is 1.34km long and took 12 days to build. The total cost was just over $7K.

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