National Feral Pig Conference 2025 highlights solutions

In late March leading experts, land managers, researchers, government representatives and community stakeholders gathered in Queensland for the 2025 National Feral Pig Conference (NFPC), in a landmark event aimed at drawing national attention to one of Australia’s most damaging invasive pests. With their destructive impact on agriculture, native biodiversity and cultural heritage, feral pigs pose a growing threat which demands coordinated, sustained and innovative responses.

The conference provided a platform to showcase current knowledge, share success stories and explore the technologies and partnerships proving effective on the ground. The traditional control methods (shooting, trapping, baiting) remain essential, though innovation and integration are crucial for long-term success.

Day One: Setting the scene
The conference opened with keynote addresses which established a sense of urgency and direction. A video message from Minister for Agriculture, Julie Collins, reaffirmed the federal government’s support for national coordination in feral pig management and outlined key priorities for action.

Professor Jim Hone delivered a compelling overview of the ecological and economic impacts of feral pigs, tracing decades of research to highlight the scale and complexity of the challenge. Sheriden Morris, Chair of the Cooperative Research Centre for Developing Northern Australia, emphasised the importance of integrated pest management and called for reliable funding to ensure the continuity of long-term programs.

A strong message emerged from day one: Solving the feral pig problem requires national unity, strategic coordination and sustained investment, before the day concluded with a networking reception hosted by the ACT Government, fostering connections across sectors.

Day Two: Collaboration and community
The second day highlighted successful collaborative and community-led approaches to feral pig control. Presenters shared how partnerships between governments, landholders, indigenous ranger groups and private industry are producing results. Notable examples included cross-tenure coordination between local councils, state agencies and farmers; a decade-long program supported by Santos in gas production areas; and grassroots initiatives using local knowledge to tailor management strategies to regional conditions.

Technology was another recurring theme. Innovations such as long-life toxic baits, spatially assisted aerial shooting and automated bait stations with remote monitoring are changing the game. These tools improve efficiency, humaneness and safety while reducing labour intensity. The day ended with a panel discussion featuring landholders, pest officers and agency reps tackling the practical complexities of managing pigs at scale, a key takeaway being shared responsibility and open communication are vital for lasting success.

Day Three: Looking ahead
The final day turned to future risks and emerging solutions with presentations focusing on how data, research and technology are shaping the next generation of feral pig management. Highlights included discussions on national mapping and disease surveillance using camera traps and passive acoustic devices, as well as predictive models which map pig distributions under changing environmental conditions. Advanced tools such as thermal imaging drones and early-stage genetic biocontrol research were also featured.

One standout concept was exploring how the Australian Carbon Credit Units Scheme could support pig control in carbon-sensitive landscapes like wetlands, aligning pest control with climate and environmental goals.

Unified call to action
NFPC 2025 closed with a unified call to action: Ramp-up national coordination, increase investment in scalable technology and deepen community engagement. Delegates agreed that with the right tools, partnerships and political will, momentum generated at the conference could drive meaningful progress.

The NFPC proved Australia has the knowledge, capacity and commitment to act decisively against the feral pig threat. There may be no silver bullet but the path forward is clear: Collaboration, innovation and long-term planning are essential. From boots-on-the-ground programs which can include hunters to hi-tech monitoring systems, every piece of the puzzle counts and the time to act as always has been the present.

It’s clear to me that many involved in pig management are welded to a government funding model as researchers, agencies and those on the ground all seek money to operate. If only more thought was put into working with hunters and ways to increase our efficiency in pest control. Maybe it’s time to look outside the box as that might just lead to a win-win situation.