No Myna issue
No Myna issue
Eurobodalla Indian Myna control program
Taking Action -
MEPAAW-SE-03
The issue
The Indian Myna (Acriodotheres tristus) was intentionally introduced to Australia from southern Asia in the late 1860s to control insects in the fields around Melbourne. The pest rapidly established along the east coast of Australia and are now commonly found in urban and agricultural areas. They are scavengers able to utilise a wide range of food types including insects, fruits, vegetables, pet food and stock feed. At night they gather to sleep in communal roosts in large dense trees or buildings.
Indian Mynas are ranked as one of the worlds 100 most invasive species. They are extremely aggressive and compete with native wildlife for scarce resources. They evict animals and birds from their nests, destroy eggs and attach chicks of other species.
In the Eurobodalla, Indian Mynas have been living in coastal suburbs, around shops, schools and on farming land. They have been negatively impacting local fauna by evicting birds and animals from their nesting sites, killing their young and have inhabited theses areas for breeding and expanding the local Indian Myna population.
The solution
Council and Landcare initiated the shire wide trapping program which offers free loan of volunteer made traps and accompanying advice on identification, trapping technique and euthanasia of this pest. Since 2009, persistence and community collaboration has resulted in a growing number of areas across the Eurobodalla now free of Indian Mynas.
Using the Pee Gee trap (originally designed by the Canberra Indian Myna Action Group) trapping has been humane, safe and easy for volunteers to implement, ethical and effective.
Ultimately education programs that notifying the general public of what to look for, who to contact to report a sighting and how to assist with control has made this program so successful. MEPAAW funding has allowed for the extension of the exisiting program with running several workshops in a variety of locations across the Eurobodalla and the purchase of trapping materials to improve the efficacy and reach.
The impact
Ongoing education programs have ensured extensive community awareness, involvement and success with the trapping program. Landowners have been encouraged not only to become involved in the trapping/control but also to work proactively in reducing feed source (eg. refraining from feeding birds, covering compost, disposing of uneaten pet food) and habitat (blocking harbour/holes in roof eaves, identifying and destroying Indian Myna nests) available to these pests.
Workshops, communication, promotion and word of mouth have allowed this program to achieve tremendous results in the Eurobodalla with many local areas now free of Indian Mynas. Having the resources to run these extension programs and to develop and maintain traps has been critical to timely, effective and humane control success.
Key facts
- Indian Myna control program run since 2009 has seen the complete eradication of populations from some areas
- Volunteer community groups have made over 100 Indian Myna traps to support community trapping efforts throughout the Shire