Can legislation improve the effectiveness of fox control in NSW?

Red fox (Vulpes vulpes) predation impacts on the populations of many preferred species throughout its range and so is the target of continuous control programs. Research has shown that effective long-term control of this pest requires a critical mass of land managers in art area to participate, but under current legislation fox management is not mandatory on private lands in NSW, and hence participation in management programs is voluntary. The declaration of an animal as a pest under the Rural Lands Protection Act 1998 places an obligation on land managers to implement fox-management programs. Three-quarters of land managers surveyed thought the fox should be a declared pest in NSW. We investigated the impact that the introduction of such legislation would have on land managers and the government enforcement agency in a small area of rural NSW Reasons for and against the introduction of legislation are discussed, along with alternate solutions to improve regional fox management programs across Australia.