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Biocontrol News and Information
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December 2000, Volume 21 No. 4
- General News
- IPM Systems
- Internet Round-Up
- Announcements
Internet Round-up
In this issue, we give some Internet sites dealing with mammal biocontrol, to go with our news article on the subject. Australia and New Zealand are leaders in this field, and we concentrate on some of their resources. As a biological island with its own unique flora and fauna, Australia has suffered massively from the hosts of mammals imported since European settlers first colonized the continent 200 years ago. The Australian Pest Animal Control CRC site at:
http://www.pestanimal.crc.org.au
outlines pest problems caused by foxes, rabbits and mice, and their work to develop control methods for them. They are focusing on immunocontraceptive vacines and their delivery through baits or, by engaging biotechnology, through the agency of a virus genetically modified to carry the vaccine. However, native animals also cause problems in Australia, and the Australian Marsupial CRC works on the conservation of marsupials in their native environments combined with management solutions in problem situations. Research on fertility, development, genetics, immunology and virology being used to develop practical fertility-based management solutions is described at:
http://www.newcastle.edu.au/marsupialcrc
Also on this site is the proceedings of a conference on Managing Marsupial Abundance for Conservation Benefits held in Perth in 1998:
http://www.newcastle.edu.au/marsupialcrc/marsupsymp/index.html#contents
New Zealand interests in mammal biocontrol are described on the Landcare Research site <http://www.landcare.cri.nz>. The Biosecurity and Pest Management page at:
http://www.landcare.cri.nz/science/biosecurity/
describes brushtail possums as the country's worst vertebrate pests. Its Possum Information Pages <http://www.landcare.cri.nz/science/possums/> have information on their biological control including immunocontraceptive and fertility control techniques. Reflecting the concern about possums is the presence of a searchable bibliography at:
and lists of current research projects on possums (mostly in New Zealand) and a bibliography that includes many unpublished reports are also available in the Annual Reports of the National Science Strategy Committee for the Control of Possum and Bovine Tb at:
http://www.frst.govt.nz/public/possum/index.htm
In general, rabbit biocontrol in Australia and New Zealand probably springs most readily to mind when mammal biocontrol is mentioned. Information on rabbit haemorrhagic/calicivirus disease (RHD/RCD) introduction to Australia is archived at:
http://www.csiro.au/communication/rabbits/rabbits.htm
As well as providing extensive background to the rabbit problem and disease solutions, and a detailed guide to using and managing RHD in the field, it also describes responses to the accidental escape of the virus from quarantine Also interesting is the New Zealand Rabbit Biocontrol Advisory Group (RBAG) site at:
http://www.maf.govt.nz/MAFnet/articles-man/rbag/httoc.htm
The site comprises an information kit designed to bring together an overview of rabbit impacts, trends in pest management and information on RHD. RBAG was disbanded when permission to import calicivirus was received, but the site is a good source of information, some of it now of historical interest (for example, among frequently asked question, "Is RHD likely to arrive naturally in New Zealand? ...an illegal introduction cannot be discounted..."). It provides an overview of viruses, mutation, and host specificity and switching in the context of the rabbit calicivirus.
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