Will fencing floodplain and riverine wetlands from feral pig damage conserve fish community values?

Installation of feral pig (Sus scrofa) exclusion fences to conserve and rehabilitate coastal floodplain habitat for fish production and water quality services remains untested. Twenty-one floodplain and riverine wetlands in the Archer River catchment (north Queensland) were surveyed during post-wet (June-August) and late-dry season (November-December) in 2016, 2017 and 2018, using a fyke net soaked overnight (~14-15hrs) to test: 1) whether the fish assemblage are similar in wetlands with and without fences; and 2) whether specific environmental conditions influence fish composition between fenced and unfenced wetlands. A total of 6,353 fish representing twenty-six species from 15 families were captured. There were no wetland differences in fish assemblages across seasons, years and for fenced and unfenced (PERMANOVA, Pseudo-F <0.589, P<0.84). Interestingly the late-dry season fish were far smaller compared to post-wet season fish: a strategy presumably in place to maximise rapid disposal following rain and floodplain connectivity. In each wetland a calibrated Hydrolab was deployed (between 2-4 days, with 20min logging) in the epilimnion (0.2m) and revealed distinct diel water quality cycling of temperature, dissolved oxygen and pH (conductivity represented freshwater wetlands), which was more obvious in the late-dry season survey because of extreme summer conditions. Water quality varied among wetlands in terms of the daily amplitude and extent of daily photosynthesis recovery, which highlights the need to consider local conditions and that applying general assumptions around water quality conditions for these types of wetlands is problematic for managers. Though many fish access wetlands during wet season connection, the seasonal effect of reduced water level conditions seems more over-improvised when compared to whether fences are installed, as all wetlands supported few, juvenile, or no fish species because they had dried completely regardless of the presence of fences.

The Dingo as a management tool on a beef cattle enterprise in western Queensland

ABSTRACT The advantages of maintaining Dingoes as a management tool on a beef cattle enterprise in western Queensland are discussed. As elsewhere Dingoes reduce kangaroo and feral pig populations and eradicate feral goats. This is of significant economic importance to our family business. As a cattle producer interested in sustainability nationally, I am concerned that the current research and public debate fail to discuss the economic and environmental benefits of maintaining Dingo populations.

Survival of Shiga Toxin–Producing Escherichia coli in Various Wild Animal Feces That May Contaminate Produce

ABSTRACT Domestic and wild animal intrusions are identified as a food safety risk during fresh produce production. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the survival of Shiga toxin–producing Escherichia coli (STEC) in cattle, feral pig, waterfowl, deer, and raccoon feces from sources in California, Delaware, Florida, and Ohio. Fecal samples were inoculated with a cocktail of rifampin-resistant STEC serotypes (O103, O104, O111, O145, and O157) (104 to 106 CFU/g of feces). Inoculated feces were held at ambient temperature. Populations of surviving cells were monitored throughout 1 year (364 days), with viable populations being enumerated by spread plating and enrichment when the bacteria were no longer detected by plating. Representative colonies were collected at various time intervals based on availability from different locations to determine the persistence of surviving STEC serotypes. Over the 364-day storage period, similar survival trends were observed for each type of animal feces from all states except for cattle and deer feces from Ohio. STEC populations remained the highest in cattle and deer feces from all states between days 28 and 364, except for those from Ohio. Feral pig, waterfowl, and raccoon feces had populations of STEC of &lt;1.0 log CFU/g starting from day 112 in feces from all states. E. coli O103 and O104 were the predominant serotypes throughout the entire storage period in feces from all animals and from all states. The survival of both O157 and non-O157 STEC strains in domesticated and wild animal feces indicates a potential risk of contamination from animal intrusion. HIGHLIGHTS

DETERMINING FERAL PIG (SUS SCROFA) ATTRACTANT SELECTION PREFERENCE AND RESPONSE TO MOCK CORRAL TRAPS

Feral pigs are an invasive exotic pest that damage habitat and compete with native species. Trapping feral pigs using a variety of baits or lures is the primary method for eradication, with little success. The purpose of this study was to use a variety of lures, with and without the presence of a mock corral trap, to determine if there was a preferred lure selected even in the presence of a trap. We also identified non-target species attraction to the lures, to identify a preferred choice by feral pigs that minimized these non-target species. We deployed 10 stations from July 2017 to March 2018 and used trail cameras to assess feral pig visitation frequency. The majority of feral pig visitation events occurred at the orange flavored corn without a mock corral trap present (43.20%). There was no significant difference in feral pig visitation rates to stations based on presence or absence of corral, but there were differences based on lure: orange corn had a significantly higher visitation rate than any other lure type. The plain corn station without a corral had only 15% of the feral pig visitation events, while the majority of non-target species (i.e., axis – 45.93%, white-tailed deer – 39.42%, and raccoon – 85.38% of visitation events) were associated with this bait. For these reasons, we suggest that orange flavored corn may be the better primary attractant in feral pig management activities in south Texas.