Humane pest animal control: Code of Practice and Standard Operating Procedures

This publication meets the pressing need for pest animal control methods which are humane, target specific, cost-effective and safe for humans to use. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) discuss animal welfare impacts for target and non-target species and describe techniques and their application, as well as covering health and safety aspects. A Code of Practice (COP) for each of the key pest animal species provides general information on best practice management, control strategies, species biology and impact, and the humaneness of current control methods.

These procedures are intended for anyone engaged in pest animal control, from land managers through to pest animal control officers and researchers. They have been produced after extensive consultation with a wide range of stakeholders throughout Australia including government and non-government organisations, animal welfare groups and technical specialists. They will allow uniform implementation of techniques and training for proficiency in pest animal control, and will address community expectations and regulatory requirements. At the same time, the procedures reflect common sense and can be applied across the many diverse situations and environments where they are needed.

See humane pest animal control - Foreword.

Related publication

Model standard operating procedures for the humane research of pest animals in Australia (May 2007)