The Management Implications of Aboriginal Perceptions of Feral Pigs (Sus scrofa) in Northern Queensland

Across Australia, the feral pig (Sus scrofa) is commonly believed to be a serious environmental and agricultural pest. However, the animal may hold socio-economic and cultural values as a source of food and customary activities, such as hunting in some Aboriginal communities. Such positive values mean that pigs are a resource and that conventional management aimed at controlling or extirpating pigs may require further examination. This paper proposes alternative management strategies based on Altman’s hybrid economy model, which incorporates the customary sector of the Aboriginal economy and considers pig hunting to be an important economic activity as well as a control option. We suggest that collaborative management of pigs with a focus on both environmental and rural development has the potential to deliver acceptable outcomes for Aboriginal people and policy makers.

The Management Implications of Aboriginal Perceptions of Feral Pigs (Sus scrofa) in Northern Queensland. Available from: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282975044_The_Management_Implications_of_Aboriginal_Perceptions_of_Feral_Pigs_Sus_scrofa_in_Northern_Queensland [accessed Dec 01 2017].