The City's response to 6PR about turtle deaths due to fox predation at City-managed lakes, 4.3.25
The City of Cockburn has been deeply committed to protecting the local Southwestern Snake-Necked Turtle population for many years.
The City currently has one of the most extensive fox control programs in the region, doubling its fox trapping program from $20,000 to $40,000 this financial year.
Because foxes travel across Local Government boundaries, local control alone is not the most effective solution. To meet cross-boundary needs, the City has proposed a coordinated regional fox control strategy through the Perth South West Metropolitan Alliance (PSWMA) which is currently being investigated by the alliance.
This strategy, including funding, is now under development. It includes funds for a regional Fox Monitoring and Targeted Control Project, an initiative the City of Cockburn began advocating for in the weeks following the devastating turtle deaths due to fox predation at Bibra Lake in May 2024.
Perth experienced its lowest October-March rainfall period on record in 2023-2024 and these extreme weather conditions led to significant wetland drying, making turtles more vulnerable than ever before to fox predation.
The City continues to explore ways to enhance turtle conservation. Fox control alone will not fully protect turtles, as climate change, vehicle strike, habitat loss, and food shortages are also major factors in their decline.
The City takes a multi-pronged approach, including:
- Expanding fox control efforts and monitoring predation risks
- Conducting turtle research, including population studies, in partnership with Murdoch University
- Exploring potential water supplementation to expand available habitat
- Supporting citizen science programs like the Saving Our Snake-Necked Turtle (SOSNT) project and other volunteer groups
- Improving nesting habitat for turtles through revegetation
- Installing traffic control measures to reduce instances of vehicle strike.
The City has spent $155,000 on turtle conservation in the past 12 months. This included $65,000 on all feral animal control (including $40,000 for fox control) which includes reactive fox control in recent weeks due to observed increases in fox predation rates on turtles at local lakes.
We acknowledge the concerns of community groups and share their passion for protecting this near-threatened species.
This issue goes beyond Cockburn’s borders and support and collaboration at a regional and state level is needed.