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Help protect our environment, economy and communities from the ‘Most Unwanted’ illegal non-native animals

NSW Department of Primary Industries is pleased to officially launch the ‘Most Unwanted’ campaign to encourage the people of NSW be on the lookout for and report non-native pest animal incursions in NSW.

The ‘Most Unwanted’ can cause significant damage to NSW by disrupting ecosystems, introducing diseases,  preying on and competing with our native animals for limited resources. Illegal trade of exotic wildlife often leads to animal cruelty and death.

The NSW Government is working with the people of NSW to prevent new pest species establishing in the state and we need your help to protect our environment, economy and communities from non-native animals that have the potential to damage our natural environment and industries

• Non-native animals don’t belong in NSW because they may
  • prey on native animals
  • compete with native animals for food and shelter
  • destroy natural habitats
  • introduce and spread exotic diseases.
• Help stop these species calling NSW home by:
  • reporting unusual non-native animals to NSW DPI when you see them
  • reporting the illegal keeping of non-native animals
  • never releasing an animal you have kept as a pet into the wild
• Your actions could help to protect the NSW environment, economy and your local community from the negative impacts of introduced pest animals
• If you see an unusual non-native pest animal, report it to NSW DPI by calling 1800 680 244 or reporting online at www.dpi.nsw.gov.au/biosecurity/sighting

The NSW Wildlife Council (NWC), on behalf of its 25 licensed volunteer wildlife groups, has provided its submission to the recent NSW Government discussion paper “Towards a risk-based approach to wildlife licences under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016”.

The NWC is aware that other submissions to the discussion paper put forward to the NSW government proposed 37 native mammal species that could be kept as pets; wombats, kangaroos, gliders, possums, quolls and wallabies are just 6 of the suggested 37 species.  

The NWC does not support any expansion of the keeping of native animals as pets and especially changes that would consider including threatened species.

In its Keeping Native Animals as Pets submission NWC said in part:

It is an acknowledged part of human nature that many people wish to confine native animals in a captive situation for their own personal pleasure with little or no consideration given to conservation of any particular species – simply to have and to hold, to interact with, to look at and own.

Since the advent of the wildlife licensing systems under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1974, there have been a number of concerted attempts by lobbyists to relax regulations in NSW to permit the holding of an increased number of mammal species as pets.

The rehabilitation sector has vigorously opposed this lobbying from the standpoint that on conservation and animal welfare grounds native animals should be free-living species, in their endemic habitat in appropriate family structures where they can exhibit natural behaviours and normal mating practices. 

We are collaborating with key partners on this campaign, and to read more about the complex issues of this proposal visit www.wild4life.org.au and www.wildforlife.org.au to find out why this is such an important issue right now which needs your attention and action.

The Submission in full can be found here:  https://www.environment.nsw.gov.au/-/media/OEH/Corporate-Site/Documents/Licences-and-permits/reforms-submissions-organisations-nsw-wildlife-council.pdf?la=en&hash=8E0E3E50CD469C5CE4A7F4818DBBA61E164528F9