The Ibis Management Coordination Group (IMCG) was established on the Gold Coast after an ibis was ingested into a Qantas Airbus engine in December 1995. Since 1996, Ecosure has been coordinating and monitoring the Australian white ibis management program (AWIMP) from the NSW border extending up to Gympie, with additional sites as far away as Adelaide, Rockhampton and Sydney. With 40+ stakeholders involved from local Councils, theme parks, hotels, airports and schools the ibis numbers are monitored and managed to reduce the human/ibis conflict and bird strike risk.
The Australian white ibis (Threskiornis molucca) is a native species protected under the Queensland Nature Conservation Act 1992 and therefore their welfare is Ecosure’s priority. Regular and robust monitoring is the cornerstone of the AWIMP as this ensures the ibis population doesn’t decline to a point that negatively impacts their wellbeing. Management of ibis is based around ibis dispersal at landfill, decreasing the availability of anthropogenic food sources and reducing breeding success. All methods are approved by the Department of Environment and Science and include removing eggs and nests so the birds must rebuild nests prior to re-laying eggs and dispersing ibis from roost sites prior to nests being established.
The IMCG meets three times a year to discuss our results and brainstorm ways for continual improvement. Ecosure completes an annual census of ibis number across all known roost sites each October to monitor the population size in areas of active management. Ecosure is grateful to the commitment and drive of our stakeholders, which has enabled the momentum of the IMCG to still be successfully operating after 25 years. Thank you to everyone that is or has been involved.
For further information, please call 1300 112 021 or email admin@ecosure.com.au