2010 Locust Plague Policies

• Savethelocust is in no way against farmers, and understands that Locust plagues can cause damage and difficulties on farmland.
• Australian Plague Locusts are Native Insects and Locust Plagues are a natural occurrence following good seasons in inland Australia, there is no evidence that agriculture has in any way increased the prevalence of locust plagues.
• Locust Plagues have beneficial effects on wildlife and natural ecosystems, by providing abundant food and stimulating productivity increases in native pastures.
• The Victorian Government has exaggerated the potential impacts of this current Plague. Their estimations conflict with their own Locust information sheets! Also there is plenty of comparisons being drawn between this plague and the one in the 70's, but actual % losses from this compartive plague are never quoted.
• Farmers are being forced to use chemical and Green Guard control of locusts, despite the fact that none of these options are safe for Human health and/or the environment. Many of the chemicals have been linked to cancer, birth defects, ADHD and other diseases in people. The chemicals are known to poison wildlife, through direct exposure or secondary poisoning.
• Chemical use, of this type and this scale is a serious risk to export markets.
• None of the control chemicals are safe for bees. Honey production is threatened as well as future pollination of agricultural/horticulture crops.
• A key point of Savethelocust is to inform people of the potential dangers of these chemicals for human health and the environment. DPI will deny liability for damage from chemical or Metarhizium and the public deserve to be informed.
• Metarhizium based products such as "Green Guard" are not safe for environmentally sensitive areas. They kill multiple grasshopper species as well as bees, wasps and ants, and can effect amphibians and fish. Metarhizium should be returned to the stores for use on organic farms, if organic farmers wish to use it and nature reserves should not be sprayed.
• Spraying natural areas (including National Parks, Roadsides etc (even with Metarhizium) is a very dangerous policy, because these areas host many beneficial Locust predators that have in the past been responsible for controlling the persistence of Locusts plagues. They could be eliminating the best allies in reducing the longevity of the Locust plague.
• Farmers should have the right to choose to use other methods for managing Locusts on their land, including repellents (such as Neem Oil products), mechanical control (eg rollers) and encouraging natural predators (ie birds, reptiles and predatory insects). The current laws do not allow for these control options.