Undesirable animals—Wet Tropics Management Plan

Schedule 2A of the Wet Tropics Management Plan 1998 (the Management Plan) lists introduced plants and animals that are considered ‘undesirable’ in the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area (the Area) because of their invasive potential and the environmental impacts they can cause. The Management Plan includes provisions to help minimise the potential impact of these species on the integrity of the Area. The current Management Plan lists 20 prohibited species or groups of species.

The Management Plan prohibits the bringing of undesirable animals into the World Heritage Area. Examples of undesirable animals are cats, dogs, cattle, deer, goats, pigs, cane toads, European honey bees, tilapia, and rabbits. 

Despite this, the Management Plan does allow some of these animals to be kept in certain circumstances on private land or land where Native Title exists. For example:

• Cattle grazing is allowed in some parts of the Area, but not within a rainforest. 
• Dogs and cats are allowed on private land provided they are kept in a way that prevents them from endangering native animals. A permit can be obtained to bring a dog into the Area for conserving or managing the Area. 
• Honey bees may be kept on private land provided they are kept in a way that reduces the likelihood of swarming. There is an opportunity to apply for a permit for commercial beekeeping in other areas but not within a rainforest. 

   Horses are not regulated under the Management Plan.

Cattle grazing

Cattle grazing is an allowed activity within the Area, but not within a rainforest. A rainforest is defined in the Management Plan and relies on the Schedule 2B list of regional ecosystem numbers. 

While cattle grazing may have some benefits for management, it is generally considered to be detrimental to World Heritage values. It can alter understorey vegetation, introduce weeds, cause erosion, change fire regimes and create feral cattle populations. 

Fish stocking

The stocking and translocation of large predatory native fish such as barramundi and sooty grunter has been undertaken throughout the Wet Tropics, often in upstream areas which have naturally remained free of such predators. This can significantly alter faunal communities and ecosystems in streams, and cause localised extinctions or declines in local fish populations (see Burrows 2004). For example, the introduction of several native fish species including mouth almighty and sooty grunter to Lake Eacham resulted in the local extinction of the endangered Lake Eacham rainbow fish, although small populations have now been found in neighbouring streams. Redclaw crayfish have also been extensively stocked and translocated in the Wet Tropics (outside of their natural range of the Gulf of Carpentaria and north eastern Cape York) with likely adverse consequences for native crustacean species and aquatic plants. 

Fish stocking in national parks is prohibited by section 86 of the Nature Conservation (Wildlife) Regulation 1994 which prevents a person taking a live animal into a protected area.

Fish stocking or fish translocations (i.e. taking a fish from one watercourse and releasing it into a watercourse in the Area) has been regulated under the Management Plan since September 2020. The Management Plan requires a person to have a permit to translocate a fish or crustacean in the Area. These provisions are designed to prevent the introduction of predatory fish such as barramundi, sooty grunter, mangrove jack and crustaceans such as red claw, which have the potential to devastate populations of smaller native fish, frogs and invertebrates and alter ecosystem biodiversity of Wet Tropics streams.

Note that Tinaroo Dam is not within the Area so this does not affect any in the dam.