Published Wednesday, 25 October, 2006 at 10:16 AM
Minister for Natural Resources and Water
The Honourable Kerry Shine
Cane toad’s “icon” status won’t protect it
The State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to bring down the cane toad, despite it being named a National Trust Queensland icon this month.
Natural Resources and Water Minister Kerry Shine said the cane toad’s naming as a Queensland icon did not deter the Government from its support for research to halt cane toads in their tracks.
Speaking at the inaugural Queensland Pest Animal Symposium at Highfields near Toowoomba today, Mr Shine said cane toads had become a major Australian pest when introduced into far north Queensland from Hawaii to combat beetles in cane crops in 1935.
“The cane toad was not effective in stopping cane beetles and itself became a monumental pest,” Mr Shine said.
“The cane toad continues to expand its range southwards at the rate of more than a kilometre each year, and they have now ventured as far away as Western Australia.”
“Cane toads have an enormous impact on the environment. They provide enormous competition for food and breeding grounds, displacing frogs and other species.”
Mr Shine said last year, the Queensland Government committed $1 million over three years for research aimed at halting the cane toad.
“A key aim of this research is to use molecular biology to develop a cane toad-specific toxin,” Mr Shine said.
“The toxic secretion that the cane toad uses in self defence is being investigated as a possible source of the toxin. In effect, this would be turning this weapon against cane toad itself.”
The research is being carried out by the Australian Invasive Animal Cooperative Research Centre and the Institute for Molecular Bioscience at the Queensland Bioscience Precinct at the University of Queensland.
Media contact: Kirby Anderson 3896 3689 or 0418 197 350