ANIMAL activists are trying to stop the removal of wild horses from Lake Gregory to South Australia on the grounds that it is inhumane.
The Department of Regional Development and Lands (RDL) said the number of feral horses on the Lake Gregory Pastoral lease had risen to more than 5000, causing significant environmental damage and they needed to be removed.
The leaseholder of Lake Gregory Station, The Aboriginal Lands Trust (ALT), was ordered by the Pastoral Lands Board (PLB) to remove the feral horses by next week and is considering trucking them to South Australia but a final decision hasn't been made.
If the ALT fails to comply, they risk forfeiting the lease or incurring a $50,000 fine with a daily penalty of $1000.
"We have been in discussions regarding the option of mustering, yarding and transporting the horses to South Australia in accordance with the Animal Welfare Act 2002 (WA) and relevant industry codes of conduct," RDL branch director David Lanagan said.
But Wild Horses Kimberley spokesperson Libby Lovegrove said there were other more viable options and suggested that horses be managed so they didn't proliferate.
"We are proposing an alternative plan that the cattle be removed from the property and the lake fenced with water points for the horses where we could use PZP contraceptives on the mares and geld the stallions," Ms Lovegrove said.
"That would manage the horse population and then the beautiful Lake Gregory could be used as a conservation area and a Brumby sanctuary like Bonrook Brumby Sanctuary in the Northern Territory."
Ms Lovegrove said there were only 2000 horses at the lake and trucking the animals to South Australia would not comply with the Animal Welfare Act in WA.
She said the Aboriginal Lands Trust has had the opportunity to run a cattle station there for 10 years and it has run at a loss because the people are not interested and have never had any training.
"As a tourist venue their facilities would be upgraded and there would be at least 12 full-time jobs created for them," Ms Lovegrove said.
WA RSPCA spokesman Tim Mayne said the RSPCA was opposed to the transport of native or introduced wild animals for slaughter because of the inevitable suffering involved.
RDL director general Paul Rosair said the impact wild horses had on the environment and industry was similar to that being caused by feral camels.
"There is considerable concern that the number of feral horses on the Lake Gregory pastoral lease has increased to such an extent that the horses are causing a serious decline in the rangeland condition," Mr Rosair said.
The department is working closely with the RSPCA, Department of Local Government, Agriculture and Food Department and the DIA to determine the best way to remove the horses.
"They are all keen to resolve the problems caused by the feral horses so that the local Aboriginal people can run a successful cattle business," Mr Rosair said.
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