Calling species ‘invasive’ – and culling them – isn’t done lightly. But it matters to Australia’s threatened species
Invasive species only want to live. But their success can come at great cost to native species. If we treat them the same, native animals lose.
Calling species “invasive” and culling them isn’t an easy decision, but it is crucial to protecting Australia’s threatened species. In Australia, species are classified as native, introduced, feral, or invasive, and these distinctions can determine their treatment and conservation status. While debate over these terms often remains behind closed doors, the issue gained attention in October when Senator David Pocock proposed a motion calling for a long-term plan to protect Australia’s landscapes and wildlife from invasive species.
Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi criticized the use of the term “invasive,” arguing that animals are not villains and emphasizing the importance of language in describing these species. As an ecologist and conservation scientist, Faruqi highlighted the significance of understanding why certain species are labeled as invasive, the damage they can cause, and the reasons why many need to be eradicated or their populations significantly reduced.
Faruqi pointed out that if we fail to control invasive species, more native animals could face extinction and the overall environmental decline in Australia could worsen. Commonly encountered invasive species include European rabbits, feral pigs, and introduced predators like cats and foxes. While some introduced species may be beneficial, such as deer for hunting, most are considered harmful.
Understanding why certain introduced species are deemed “good” or “bad” and whether some should be allowed to remain is a complex question. Australia’s environment has been shaped by millions of years of isolation, resulting in a unique array of native species found nowhere else on Earth. These native species have a right to persist despite human impacts such as colonisation, land clearing, and introduced species.
However, lethal control is sometimes necessary to protect native species and ecosystems. For example, the numbat, once widespread across Western Australia, faced extinction due to predation by cats and foxes, habitat destruction, and changes in fire management. Conservation efforts, including the use of poison baits and traps to control feral cats and foxes, as well as establishing predator-free sanctuaries and breeding programs, have helped the numbat recover from near-extinction, with their numbers increasing from just 300 individuals in the 1970s.
Written by urgent.news from The Conversation AU's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
