[Over the next few days I’ll be updating this post]
Solenopsis invicta, known as the Red imported fire ant (RIFA) has been deemed in an instructive and frightening American video as the Most successful creature that has ever lived.
They are omnivorous, they are ferocious, they have an unrivalled capacity for concerted action to promote their species, and they are here. According to the Invasive Species Council:
- ‘Fire ants are one of the world’s worst super pests and, if they are allowed to spread across the continent, their impact will be greater than cane toads, rabbits, feral cats and foxes combined.
Can our rickety political structure of six states and two territories loosely joined in a commonwealth defeat this determined little critter?
In their native territory in the Pantanal, a large wetland at the headwaters of the Paraguay river in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil, they are preyed upon by five species of fly, which specialise in killing them. In the 1930s they invaded the United States, and, free of predators, have invaded 13 states below the snow line.
Around the turn of the century or maybe earlier they came from the USA to Brisbane and its western suburbs, whence they threaten our wildlife:
- If left unchecked, fire ants will have severe ecological impacts because they reach extremely high densities. An assessment of their likely impact on 123 animals in southeast Queensland predicted population declines in about 45% of birds, 38% of mammals, 69% of reptiles and 95% of frogs. These reductions could result in possible extinctions.
In agriculture 52 farmed crops are vulnerable, they love electrical fields, so build nests in fuse boxes and other infrastructure. Indeed our outdoor way of life will become problematic. Every state and territory will be open to them if we let them go.
For our own health and safety the Invasive Species Council advises:
- When a fire ant mound is disturbed, thousands of ants swarm to the surface and repeatedly sting the intruder. In the US, 30 to 60% of people in infested areas are stung each year. The stings are painful – the alkaloid venom causes pustules and, in some people, allergic reactions. More than 85 people in the US have died of anaphylactic shock.
2002 modelling currently being updated for Australia indicates ants would cause an extra 140,000 medical consultations and 3000 anaphylactic reactions a year.
(Emphasis added)Up to 3% of cases result in anaphylactic shock. Or you arm or leg could look really bad, or just bad:
Fire ant nests vary in how they present themselves, but are typically much larger underground than the visible nest would suggest. Last year I had a close encounter with nest which was much less noticeable than this:
Grazing animals, pets and small children are especially at risk:
State of play
Australia was invaded by fire ants at some years before they were discovered in 2001. By that time they had spread to up to 71,000 hectares in the Port of Brisbane, and in the south-west suburbs between Brisbane and Ipswich. An excellent history of what happened in subsequent decades, together with more detail on their potential impact, may be found in the Invasive Species Council’s submission to the recent Senate inquiry.
Some hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent resulting in containment rather than elimination. The following shows the current screening and containment lines:
In SEQ (Southeast Queensland) the fire ant has been restricted to a spread of five kilometres per year. This compares with 48 in the US and currently 80 in China.
If the ant had spread as rapidly here as in the US it would be currently north of Mackay, west of Charleville and south of Canberra.
Seven incursions from overseas to places outside SEQ have been eradicated, including Fremantle, Sydney and Gladstone.
Following a comprehensive strategic review of the joint-funded National Fire Ant Eradication Program, in July last year the Commonwealth and State Agricultural Ministers Meeting agreed to contribute $592 million for new joint-funded response plan over 2023 – 2027 as the first phase towards complete eradication by 2032. In 2023-24 unfortunately only Qld and NSW had made a budget commitment, leaving funding at around $60 million instead of $133 million.
With the Commonwealth contributing half, the other states were to fill in the remainder, graded according to population. All parties except Tasmania and SA did find the funds.
Senate Report
A Senate inquiry report handed down in April once again funding was short, with only The Commonwealth, NSW and Queensland making budgetary allocations.
Once again the Invasive Species Council sounded the alarm, with more pictorial and other information here. Underfunding meant that the northern boundary of the infested area could not be treated, so the fire ants duly headed for the Sunshine Coast hinterland.
The Senate Inquiry Recommendations called for an urgent review of the National Fire Ant Eradication Program to assess the true level of funding requires, and that all governments make a whole-of-government response to reflect the seriousness of red imported fire ants on all aspects of Australian life, including health, tourism, agriculture, and the environment.. And all governments must ensure continuity of funding. No backsliding allowed – this enemy is relentless!
I understand funding has been rectified on an interim basis, but there is no sign of action on the recommendations as such, which include investigating possible program delivery models, including a statutory independent agency and a nationally led commission. Other recommendations called for establishing a Cooperative Research Centre, greater communication, transparency and community involvement.
Avenues for lobbying
Fresh opportunities for environmental biosecurity reform as new Minister for Agriculture appointed (29 July 2024)
Fire ant suppression underfunding puts Sunshine Coast at risk (31 May 2024)
Calls to better resource National Fire Ant Eradication Program after nearly 40,000 reported sightings (18 May 2024)
Senate inquiry warns of ‘disastrous’ fire ant consequences without urgent action
Red imported fire ants in Australia Don’t Let This Come Back to Bite Us
Further Information
National Fire Ant Eradication Program
Next Monday The Invasive Species Council is hosting a Zoom event: Invitation to Webinar – 11th Aliens Among Us Q&A: Living a fire ant death sentence – an expert from the Texan frontline (Aug 26, 2024 04:00 PM)
- With fire ants still on the march, it’s more important than ever to understand the risks and get the word out about fire ants. That’s why we’ve brought one of the world’s most qualified experts from the USA on a national Australian tour. Register for our FREE event to hear him live in our 11th Aliens Among Us Q&A Webinar!
I’ve altered this post today, and will need to alter it more over the next few days. Further information has become available. In short all states and territories are once again on board, but the recommendations of the Senate inquiry are stuck in the system.
I’ll also add some addresses that might be useful for lobbying.