Latest news with #environmentaldamage
CBC
26-06-2025
- General
- CBC
New campaign encourages B.C. to 'squeal' on invasive pigs
Escaped domestic pigs are no joke. That's the message behind a new awareness campaign from the Invasive Species Council of B.C. aimed at preventing feral pig populations from growing and thriving in British Columbia, as they have elsewhere in North America. The campaign encourages British Columbians to "squeal on pigs" they believe have escaped into the wild, and offers farmers tips on how to prevent their animals from getting loose. "It's one of the species that we want to be very, very careful with," said Stanley Troyer, who grew up on a ranch and now owns a custom meat-cutting shop in Fort St. John in northeast B.C., one of the regions of the province where feral pigs are most likely to thrive. He said he once helped a friend track down a loose hog that travelled more than 50 kilometres in the middle of winter — a reminder of the animal's ability to survive in northern climates. "It's important that we don't underestimate the ability of hogs," he said. Gail Wallin, executive director of the Invasive Species Council of B.C., said escaped domesticated pigs can cause environmental damage and spread disease. "They're rooters. They'll destroy your crops or your wetlands or whatever lands are really important for other native species," she said. The campaign features pigs in places they shouldn't be — grocery stores, tractors, and kitchen cupboards — and asks people to act if they see any in real life. Wallin said the council has spent the last year working on resources for local governments and pork producers, as well as things like kids' activity books, to support the campaign. She said anyone who spots a pig can report it online through the council's website, by using an invasive species app or by calling in with information. She said having a photo of the animal is particularly important. "If it's a pig outside a fence, it's illegal in British Columbia. So, that goes to the province, and the province works out a response," she said. An alert posted by the provincial government said feral pigs have been reported in low numbers in the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, Thompson-Okanagan, Peace, Chilcotin and Kootenay regions. It said many were released or escaped from farms but they "have not yet established large populations in the province." Wallin said her organization has seen the damage invasive pigs can cause in other provinces, as well as in the United States, and it's a growing concern. "We don't want that here in British Columbia," she said. "We want to catch them when they're still in their early stages, and prevent new ones from coming in." Wild boars that aren't being raised as livestock are considered an invasive species in Alberta and are a provincially regulated "agricultural pest." The government of Alberta has said the pigs can compete with wildlife and destroy other sensitive natural habitats. The Alberta Invasive Species Council said that while there are no Canadian estimates, agricultural damage in the U.S. caused by wild boar at large is estimated to be $1.5 billion each year.
ABC News
01-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
Erosion and topsoil loss after flooding in western Queensland
While parts of western Queensland have turned green following record flooding, other areas could take decades to recover after the top layer of soil, which is vital for pasture growth, was washed away. The sheer velocity and volume of the floodwater washed away up to 40 centimetres of topsoil, along with fencing, roads and livestock. "We've got big areas here that have just lost all the topsoil," Quilpie property owner Jon Mooring said. "There's great piles of silt that are half a metre deep." The Bulloo River cuts through the middle of Jon and Kerri Mooring's Quilpie property, and during the March floods the river and a lake on the property met for the first time in 10 years. "When the two systems got together, it (the water) was rising nearly two feet an hour and the road of that went on for nearly four nights past our house," Mr Mooring said. Four years of restoration and thousands of dollars of work were washed away in just a matter of days as a "sea of water" took over the landscape. He said it could take up to 20 years for the landscape to recover from some of the more extensive flooding damage, such as scouring and erosion. Topsoil is the top layer of soil on the ground, usually up to 20 centimetres deep, and is rich in nutrients and organic matter, making it essential for vegetation growth. Environmental damage like loss of topsoil, erosion and weed spread were often the longest lasting impacts of widespread flooding. Geoff Penton, operations manager at natural resources management group Desert Channels Queensland, said the impact of the floods varied. "In some areas, it's a great season and in other areas, it's devastating, and they can be literally feet apart," Mr Penton said. "There's many areas where the water, both the volume and the velocity, has stripped the topsoil off entirely. "Some places where that erosion is settled it's drowned pastures in a foot of mud." Mr Penton said it was likely to take "several seasons" to see pasture response, and it would be a long and expensive road to repairing the environmental damage. "What will help accelerate this is if we can secure some flood recovery investment from the state and federal government," he said. While he acknowledged the current funding options from the state and federal governments were a start, Mr Penton said attention would need to shift to recovering the environment. "The environmental recovery usually comes substantially later," Mr Penton said. "That's under consideration by both levels of government at the moment." The Queensland Reconstruction Authority said in a statement that $186.75 million in extraordinary assistance had been approved in response to the floods through joint Commonwealth-state Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA). "The Australian and Queensland governments are working together to provide all support necessary for flood recovery in western Queensland," the statement read.
The Independent
22-05-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Endangered gorilla habitats threatened in rebel-held Congo
Illegal logging has surged in the tropical forests of eastern Congo after falling into rebel hands earlier this year, stoking fears of widespread environmental damage, according to residents and environmentalists. The affected area includes the Kahuzi-Biega National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site west of Bukavu, eastern Congo's second-largest city. The park, captured by the Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in February, shelters hundreds of bird species and one of the last remaining groups of eastern lowland gorillas, also known as Grauer's gorillas. The M23 rebels now control more territory in eastern Congo than ever before. T heir advance has reopened roads previously restricted by government checkpoints, facilitating the transport of goods, including charcoal (locally known as makala). This improved transport efficiency has fueled increased logging in and around the park, as reported by charcoal producers and traders. "We plant trees for clean air, but also to make charcoal, produce planks and for construction," said Espoir Gedeon, who transports timber from the forests near Bukavu. The producers and traders said charcoal prices have plunged as supply has surged. Bags weighing up to 70 kg that once fetched 120,000 Congolese francs (about $40) now sell for less than half that. In the Murhesa charcoal market, 27 km (17 miles) north of Bukavu, vendors said they now buy bags for around 45,000 francs and resell them in Bukavu for a modest markup. "That's how God is helping us. We manage to feed our children and also get soap for laundry," said vendor Sifa Bahati. But conservationists warn that the charcoal boom is coming at a steep ecological cost. Environmental groups have appealed in a letter to M23 leaders to stop illegal logging, warning of possible irreversible damage to biodiversity and forest ecosystems. Neither the M23-appointed governor of South Kivu province nor an M23 spokesperson responded to a request for comment. "At least 3,000 bags (of charcoal) enter Bukavu daily, or head towards Goma," said Josue Aruna, head of the NGO Environmental and Agro-Rural Civil Society of Congo in South Kivu. Goma is the largest city in eastern Congo.
