About 570,000 feral donkeys have been culled in the Kimberley region since 1978. Are these yearly aerial culls still worth doing?
This option represents a small increase in control effort compared to current effort, such that current donkey numbers in the region are maintained over the 30-year time horizonThis option represents the current level of donkey control, resulting in a 3 per cent increase in donkey numbers through timeThis option reflects halving donkey numbers in the region each year until donkey numbers are kept low, only increasing through migrationThis option represents a break from control activities for 10 years, then starting again in year 11 through to 30, with control effort resulting in a similar number of donkeys in the region after 30 years, as is expected from option two The cost-benefit analysis looked at all of the scenarios relative to a do-nothing scenario and suggested the most cost-effective option was to stop donkey control for a period of time and then recommence.
"This option is more risky, as donkey numbers may increase faster than expected and capacity to control donkey numbers after a 10-year break may be difficult to re-establish," the report said. It recommended the KBRA,"continue to control donkeys at current levels of control or slightly increase it", and to focus its efforts in the north Kimberley region. "The program will definitely move forward, it's just a matter now of refining what we do, [and] how we do it, based on this information," Mr Pasfield said. The culling program had long been funded 50/50 by the Kimberley cattle industry and State Government, he said. Eradication has long been the target in the Kimberley, but there are several factors that make this difficult, including donkeys roaming in from neighbouring regions.Prior to the culling program, it was estimated the Kimberley's donkey population was between 250,000 and 300,000 animals. "Under good conditions, it's been suggested that donkeys in northern Australia can increase their population by 23 per cent per year," Mr Pasfield said. "But even using a modest figure of 10 per cent, then over a 30-year period, if all control ceased, then the donkey population would go from around 3,000 donkeys to 60,000 in 30 years. "If it was closer to that 23 per cent population increase, then the numbers would blow out significantly." The cost-benefit analysis suggested the eradication scenario for donkeys in the Kimberley was,"the least cost-effective and most risky option considered".used as a land-management toolIn the Northern Territory, there are a handful of cattle stations purposely stockpiling donkeys in the hope of future markets opening up,
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