OPENING up public land for hunting could have wide-ranging benefits for remote communities and landholders in Queensland.
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Federal member for Kennedy Bob Katter says pig shooting adventures could help boost tourism and solve an important agricultural problem.
He said Queensland needed to catch up to Victoria and Northern Territory, where hunting of feral pigs and a range of other animals is already allowed.
“There is a real issue with the wild pig population in North Queensland,” Mr Katter said.
“I have had several meetings with the federal Minister for the Environment with solutions for eradicating the wild pigs, but there is no real solution forthcoming.’’
Mr Katter said the industry needed to be opened up for game hunters and hunting weekenders as the current programs in place were “ridiculously inadequate”.
“Promoting pig hunting as a tourism opportunity will have enormous financial benefits, not only for the local communities, but could also provide the Government a solution for the burgeoning pig population crisis in North Queensland,” he said.
Figures released by the Victorian Government reveal hunting is worth $439 million to the economy. The activity of 46,000 licensed game hunters supports 3500 Victorian jobs and the Victorian Government is investing in responsible game management.
“We need to adopt a similar model for Queensland, the state and federal governments need to get behind this,” Mr Katter said.
“This incentive could also offer our struggling cattlemen alternative opportunities for income.”
Some councils, AgForce and Development Boards and have been granted money from the federal drought funds for eradicating feral animals but Mr Katter said this was not enough to significantly reduce the feral pig population and eradicate the problem.
“The current grants totalling $2 million from the $5.6 million in Federal drought funds targeting feral animals is ridiculously inadequate,” Mr Katter said.