RESEARCH & EVENTS
Pest Birds and Nut Industries Workshop
THE Department of Primary Industries and Regions South Australia( PIRSA) hosted a Pest Birds and Almond Industries Workshop at the Almond Centre of Excellence in Loxton on Tuesday, 15 April. The workshop was coordinated by the Almond Board of Australia and the Pistachio Growers Association and was attended by 16 almond and pistachio growers from the Riverland and Adelaide Plains Regions. PIRSA has a proposal to develop a bait for pest birds impacting the primary industries and communities of South Australia, including feral species, like pigeons, and abundant native species, like corellas, which cause significant impacts to horticultural industries. It aims to deliver a humane, costeffective, population-level control tool for targeting pest bird species. To inform project development, Dr. Annette Scanlan( PIRSA) is meeting with key stakeholder groups including primary industries, community groups and local councils to better understand the impact of pest birds. During the workshop nut growers were able to share their experience managing pest birds. A key challenge for nut growers is that multiple management options are required to effectively manage pest birds. These management options are
expensive, and birds learn to adapt to deterrents meaning that growers must constantly adapt management strategies. Yet without appropriate management growers may stand to lose up to 100 % of their crop. There was a general sentiment that current management options just shift the problem elsewhere, indicating that a collaborative approach across industries and regions is needed. Following the workshop at Loxton, a survey was distributed to South Australian nut growers to collect data on the costs associated with pest birds, including direct costs( crop losses from nuts consumed or damaged by pest birds), and management costs( i. e., planes, gas guns, staff costs etc.). This data will inform a statewide economic analysis on pest bird impacts. Before an agricultural or veterinary chemical product can be legally supplied, sold, or used in Australia it must be registered by the Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority( APVMA). The development of a bait for pest birds is a long term project, which will require rigorous research, scientific trials and engagement with a broad range of stakeholders. Animal welfare, human-health, offtarget and environmental impacts are key considerations of the APVMA review process.
34 In A Nutshell- Winter 2025 Vol 26 Issue 2