Cane Toads

MEDIA RELEASE

25 October 2006

CANE TOAD HYPOTHESIS EXPLODED!

Over 63,000 toads examined!

40,000 VOLUNTEER HOURS

14 months of Data Sheets!

HUNDREDS OF INCURSIONS EXTERMINATED

KTB Hypothesis

“A few Mature Breeding Cane Toads move forward to a new wetland, lay 30,000 eggs many of which survive and six months later the system is overloaded and dying from cane toad overload.”

(The dry season then evaporates most of the wetland and kills most of the cane toads. The KTBs mop up ONLY the cane toads from the water bodies that will survive the dry season to ensure those toads do not breed or move on and breed in the next wet season.)

The KTB evidence for this is:

KTB recorded field observations for 14 months at all the incursion areas including Auvergne and Victoria River Downs station (where there were no toads prior to 2006)

Ag WA (responsible body for cane toad control before DEC) observations
DEC (CALM) Kununurra observations
Auvergne Station staff
Victoria River Downs Station staff
Aboriginal communities
Kakadu experience of research scientists

STTF/Sawyer Hypothesis

“A few mature breeding toads move into an area and then, unobserved, slowly build their numbers over a period of years. Finally, when the numbers are large enough someone will notice their presence.”

The KTBS are sure that if STTF/Sawyer had read the overwhelming evidence and tested this hypothesis in the field they would have quickly realised that it needed re-examining.

(Sawyer and STTF assert publicly against AGWA, DEC and the KTBs hypothesis that the KTB hypothesis is wrong because of the number of toads that they have found at Auvergne Station. Had STTF consulted with DEC or the KTBs (before leaving Perth for their muster) about the cane toad incursions on Auvergne they would not have been surprised on arrival from out of town. Many of the cane toads on Auvergne are now congregating around drying water holes where they will die before the wet season arrives. Those water bodies such as the Auvergne Flying Fox lagoon need busting urgently before the wet season).