Wetlands degraded by feral pigs

Feral pigs are a major threat and ongoing management challenge in northern Australian ecosystems. Through trampling and digging, feral pigs destroy vegetation, disturb freshwater turtle nests, increase erosion, and release sediment into waterways, impacting the health and survival of native species.

There is a long history of feral pig control programs across different spatial scales – and targeted control programs are currently underway in the southern Gulf of Carpentaria. Reducing feral pig populations is expected to benefit nearby wetlands as well as waterways further downstream, but systematic monitoring is needed to assess potential recovery.

Two projects are now underway evaluating waterway health alongside feral pig management in the southern Gulf, establishing an approach for ongoing monitoring.

Assessing wetland health

In partnership with Southern Gulf NRM, we are assessing wetland and riverine health in the southern Gulf region after the reduction of feral pigs at 10 properties across 50 hectares. We will also monitor waterway health at 10 downstream sites.

We will use:

• On-site water logging equipment.

• Water quality sampling spot-checks.

• Environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis.

• Remote sensing, including developing indicators that can be used to assess riverine health.

• Stream health and sediment heavy metal rapid assessments.

Using these monitoring results, we will develop a wetland health report card to share findings with landholders and the community. This project will also establish a scientifically robust ongoing monitoring program that will be led by Southern Gulf NRM after the project is completed.

Endangered turtles and invasive fish

Alongside feral pig management led by Southern Gulf NRM, we are monitoring the presence of native Gulf Snapping Turtles (Elseya lavarackorum) and invasive Mozambique Tilapia (Oreochromis mossambicus) and Spotted Tilapia (Tilapia mariae) across the Gregory and Nicholson River catchments. These Tilapia species were introduced to Australia as aquarium fish and are now out-competing and displacing native fish in our waterways, but they have not yet spread to these catchments.

We will collect water and soil samples across the southern Gulf region for environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis during surveys from 2026 to 2028. eDNA techniques will determine the presence or absence of genetic traces from our species of interest at 13 sites.

Results will give insights into the impact of feral pig management on Gulf Snapping Turtle habitat use in the region, and provide early warning if Tilapia are detected in the catchment.

Project details

These monitoring projects are led by Dr Adam Canning as part of programs coordinated by Southern Gulf NRM. Funding is provided by the Queensland Government’s Natural Resource Management Expansion Program.

Photo credits: Gulf Snapping Turtle by Scott Thomson via iNaturalist; feral pig by Gwyn M Williams via iNaturalist.