Darwin University’s spokesman for intelligentsia, Hugh Davies thinks by shooting these introduced animals which he says are emitting greenhouse gas, communities could earn carbon credits.

 It begs the question; how does Mr Hughes intend to remove the millions of tonnes of methane and carbon dioxide emissions from the vast areas of wetlands, swamps and lagoons of Arnhem Land and the Mary River region in the Top End?

Vast areas of NT swamps, lagoons and wetlands emit millions of tonnes of methane gas. Does the university want to cull the 2.2 million Northern territory cattle herd too?
https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1618765114

Would you pay for your children to attend Charles Darwin University?

Shooting buffalo is a question that has been posed by researchers at the University (CDU) who believe land managers could be incentivised to cull feral bovine if they could earn valuable carbon credits.

“Feral buffalo numbers are increasing across northern Australia, meaning their [methane] emissions are too,” CDU’s Hugh Davies said.

“So the whole idea of our research was that if we can keep their numbers under control we can avoid greenhouse gas emissions, potentially creating carbon credits, which can be sold to make money.”

He said one adult buffalo emitted about 78 kilograms of methane each year “which is the equivalent of over two tonnes of carbon dioxide”.

“If that buffalo wasn’t there that’s potentially two carbon credits generated,” he said.

The idea of culling feral animals for carbon credits is not new.

In 2013 the federal government knocked back a proposal to generate carbon credits from culling feral camels.

The stupidity of academics knows no bounds believing that shooting animals will some how save the planet. This is yet another move to destroy a viable food industry that generates tens of millions of dollars in export and domestic earnings.

Buffalo industry cautious

Tom Dawkins from the NT Buffalo Industry Council said the industry first became aware of CDU’s research after it went public.

He said it was obvious a lot more research would be needed before governments would approve such a methodology, and he called on CDU to focus less on culling buffalo and more on removing them from the environment.

“The language [in this report] seems to be very narrow and specific around culling,” he said.

“We’d argue mustering is better than shooting, not just because you’re getting the dividend of an animal going to a supply chain, but you’re actually removing an animal from the landscape.

“Shoot to waste just leaves a carcass which decomposes, emitting methane in the process, and just creates a feed for feral pigs, which we don’t want either.”

Mr Dawkins also questioned whether large companies would want to purchase carbon credits generated from gunning down animals.

“I can’t see a scenario where the silver bullet solution to buffalo management in the Top End is culling,” he said.

“It opens roads up into remote areas whereas shooting animals from a helicopter doesn’t do any of that.”

More than 10,000 buffalo were exported out of Darwin last year to markets in South-East Asia, while about 6,000 buffalo were processed at the Rum Jungle abattoir south of Darwin.

It is estimated around 200,000 feral buffalo are roaming across northern Australia.

The Mimal Land Management Aboriginal Corporation, based at Bulman in Central Arnhem Land, has long been involved in the commercial harvesting of feral buffalo.

Each year the organisation removes between 2,500 to 4,000 animals.

“It returns a significant income to the people in this area,” Mimal chief executive Dominic Nicholls said.

The organisation already earns carbon credits through early-season fire abatement

Mr Nicholls said if carbon credits became available for culling buffalo then his organisation would definitely consider the environmental and economic opportunities of getting involved.

“If this [proposal] plays out it could have an important impact across northern Australia,” he said.

“But while we will explore and look at options like this, we’re going to keep doing what’s working — and that’s mustering.”