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| Western Shield | |
|---|---|
| Name | Western Shield |
| Location | Western Australia |
| Established | 1996 |
| Area | Southwest Western Australia |
| Agency | Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions |
Western Shield
Western Shield is a long-running conservation program in southwestern Australia focused on protecting native fauna from invasive predators and restoring threatened species. It operates through coordinated actions including baiting, trapping, translocation, and habitat management across reserves, national parks, and pastoral lands. The program involves partnerships among state agencies, research institutions, indigenous organizations, and non-governmental conservation groups.
Western Shield was implemented to counter declines in native marsupials, monotremes, and reptiles caused by introduced predators and habitat alteration. Key stakeholders include the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions, regional naturalist groups, and universities such as the University of Western Australia and Murdoch University. Operations occur across networks of national parks, nature reserves, and private conservation properties in the Southwest Australia ecoregion, including areas adjacent to the Great Western Woodlands and the Swan Coastal Plain.
Established in the mid-1990s, the program followed earlier conservation efforts on species such as the numbat and western quoll. Western Shield’s objectives have included reducing populations of introduced predators, reintroducing extirpated species, and improving survival of threatened taxa listed under state and federal legislation such as the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 and Western Australian threatened species lists. Historical milestones involve collaborations with institutions like the Perth Zoo, Australian Wildlife Conservancy, and community groups in response to declines documented by researchers from the CSIRO and biodiversity surveys by state biological inventory teams.
Operational methods combine toxicant baiting, trapping, exclusion fencing, and captive-breeding support. Baiting programs have employed baits containing compounds regulated under Australian pest management guidelines and implemented alongside trapping networks modelled on protocols developed by pest control units within the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions and biosecurity teams. Field operations coordinate with bushfire management agencies such as the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (Western Australia) and landholders in the Kimberley and southwest regions. Research partnerships with groups at the Australian National University and the University of Tasmania have refined monitoring protocols including camera trapping, genetic sampling, and occupancy modelling.
Target species have included the quokka, numbat, woylie (brush-tailed bettong), burrowing bettong, and reintroduced populations of the dibbler and golden bandicoot. The program aims to control invasive species such as the European red fox, feral cat, and feral European rabbit. Management practices include selective baiting to reduce fox abundance while mitigating impact on non-target predators like the eagles and native dingo-like populations in northern regions. Translocation activities have involved zoological institutions including the Perth Zoo and conservation NGOs like the Australian Wildlife Conservancy to source founder animals, and have followed translocation guidelines endorsed by the IUCN.
Monitoring uses camera trap arrays, live trapping grids, and population genetic analyses conducted in partnership with research bodies such as the CSIRO and universities. Reported results include local recoveries of species like woylies and numbats in fenced and baited landscapes, and increased occupancy of herbivorous marsupials on protected islands and mainland sanctuaries. Outcomes have been cited in regional biodiversity reports produced by the Western Australian Government and shared at scientific conferences such as meetings of the Ecological Society of Australia.
Western Shield has faced challenges including reinvasion by predators, bait aversion, public debate over lethal control of introduced species, and funding variability. Controversies have involved animal welfare organizations, indigenous custodians asserting rights under native title determinations such as those adjudicated at the High Court of Australia, and scientific debates published in journals where authors affiliated with the University of Western Australia and international collaborators discussed predator-prey dynamics and non-target effects. Climate change impacts documented by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and regional land-use changes linked to mining companies and agricultural interests have further complicated long-term resilience.
Governance is coordinated by the Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions with advisory input from conservation scientists, indigenous ranger programs, and partner NGOs like the Australian Wildlife Conservancy and community Landcare groups. Funding sources combine state budget allocations, project grants from federal agencies such as the Australian Government Department of Agriculture, Water and the Environment, philanthropic contributions, and partnerships with zoos including the Perth Zoo and research funding from institutions like the Australian Research Council.
Category:Conservation in Western Australia