Animal culling on Hamo done as a 'last resort'
WHEN word spread that wallabies, possums and native birds were being culled on Hamilton Island, the community was outraged.
But a spokesperson from the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection (EHP) said they recognised the island's need for ongoing management of some native wildlife species on the island.
EHP stated they had been working with operators on Hamilton Island for more than 10 years regarding measures, lethal and non-lethal, taken to manage the damaging impacts wildlife were having on the environment.
EHP issued damage mitigation permits (DMPs) after careful consideration of the protected wildlife management strategies developed by the leaseholder, they said.
Culling of animals under the DMP must be carried out quickly and humanely.
Hamilton Island's CEO, Glenn Bourke, issued Hamilton Island's wildlife management policy which stated the culling was necessary "to prevent unacceptable levels of damage or loss to property and for safety reasons at the airport and in the resort itself”.
"We use a number of deterrents to discourage birds and other wildlife from forming unnatural behaviour patterns,” the statement said.
This was done through installing physical barriers around bins and training staff to immediately remove food from tables and clean promptly.
