The ACT's Scientific Committee has advised the government against future wild releases of vulnerable eastern bettongs, after 67 died in a failed Lower Cotter experiment.
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In a document handed to the conservator of flora and fauna Ian Walker and Environment Minister Mick Gentleman, the expert body outlines several issues they say may make another release infeasible.
Committee chair Professor Arthur Georges says its advice takes a lack of new fox control methods into particular account, as well as learnings from several Australian release attempts, including the ACT's.
"Although I'm sure a lot was learnt from that re-release, the bettongs didn't survive because it was not possible to reduce the predation pressure of foxes to a level that would enable them to persist," Professor Georges said.
"There are no technologies available to bring foxes down to a density that's appropriate for re-release, apart from fencing. There's nothing on the horizon either - that's the advice I've been receiving."
The committee suggests predator-proof fencing, such as that which is currently being used as Mulligans Flat Woodland Sanctuary, to maintain bettong populations on the mainland into the future.
In the Australian wild, eastern bettongs only persevere in Tasmania where there are no foxes.
"The Mulligans Flat area has been a fantastic success in terms of not only the bettongs and other species being reestablished in behind those fences, but in terms of building constituency in the community around the idea of conserving these species," Professor Georges said.
"The question has to be raised ... whether we should just rely on [this model] for bringing these species back into the ACT."
Conservator Ian Walker said he and the government would consider the advice in their development of a bettong conservation management plan, which they had decided was necessary.
The process would take about 12 months, with the committee to consult on it in September. Following that, consultation would be with the public.
"It would be unusual to contradict the advice because that's the purpose of the committee and their expertise coming to the table," he said.
"It's important we understand the advice from different perspectives."
Mr Walker was in talks with Mr Gentleman about conservation management plans for other species, he said. The plan for bettongs would include a timeline for implementation.
Mr Gentleman said in 2017 that the Lower Cotter experiment, for which the last fox traps and baits had been laid early this year, was intended more to "garner information" rather than to re-establish a wild population.
Former Mulligans Flat manager Dr Will Batson had previously not ruled out future wild releases, saying animals would be considered on a "case-by-case basis".