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Invasive species – vertebrate animal pest policy, management and regulation

Policy

Introduced and native birds and other animals can cause problems for agriculture and the environment, and social problems for the community. For these reasons they may be pests.
We aim to minimise the impact of vertebrate pests by:

preventing the entry of new pest species to the State
removing small populations of pests found here
minimising the impact of widespread pests
raising awareness of the problem and solutions for managing vertebrate pests.

Legislation

Vertebrates that are declared pests are listed according to management categories in the Declared Animals List [May 2008]. Any introduced vertebrate not included on this list is prohibited in Western Australia.
Information on management and identification of introduced pests is also available at Importing and keeping introduced mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians in Western Australia (175kb PDF).

Managing impact

Widespread declared pests are controlled by trapping, mustering, shooting, poisoning, scaring, deterring, fencing, licensing and permits. To find Farmnotes and Pestnotes about control measures, use the search box or the animal folders (left).

Surveillance

Learn to recognise priority animals targeted for surveillance by observing their images and reading information on them.

Need assistance in identifying unknown vertebrates? Contact the Vertebrate Pest Research Section or phone 1800 084 881 (all hours).

Inspections at state airports and road checkpoints

All mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians entering the state are subject to inspection by Quarantine WA.

For further information see FAQ animal inspections Perth domestic airport and road quarantine checkpoints (401kb PDF).

Keeping introduced animals

Which animals can I import and keep in WA? See Importing and keeping introduced mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians in Western Australia (175kb PDF) or the Declared Animals List [May 2008].
If you are planning to keep animals that are permitted in the state, you may first need to apply for a permit to keep (11kb PDF) and possibly a permit to introduce (17kb PDF) the animals.

Obtaining new introduced animals

Approvals must be gained BEFORE any introduced animals that are not currently on the Declared Animals List [May 2008] can be imported to WA. (Vertebrates that are not included on list are prohibited until assessed and added to the list.)
Who considers your application? The Committee for the Introduction and Keeping of Animals (CIKA).

CIKA is a Cabinet-appointed policy committee comprising the heads of the:

Department of Agriculture and Food
Department of Environment and Conservation
Perth Zoological Gardens Board
Department of Fisheries
Australian Quarantine Inspection Service.

Most business is conducted by CIKA’s Technical Subcommittee (TSC) with experts from the above bodies.
The Department of Local Government and Regional Development, the Department of Health and the RSPCA have input to the TSC when relevant issues arise.
To apply to recategorise animals or to alter conditions, study the process (30kb PDF) and return the form (78kb PDF).
For information on what animals are being assessed, contact the TSC coordinator Win Kirkpatrick Department of Agriculture and Food, 100 Bougainvillea Ave, Forrestfield, WA, 6058 phone 08 9366 2320 or email wkirkpatrick@agric.wa.gov.au

Unwanted animals

Please let us know if you no longer wish to keep unwanted introduced animals. It is an offence to release them into the wild. We make every attempt to re-house animals.

Research

Many techniques for managing pest vertebrates are investigated by the Vertebrate Pest Research Section.

Other relevant information

Your feedback is welcome.

Page updated: May 2008