Eradicating cane toads in NSW outside their current range of distribution: Best practice guidelines

The guidelines summarise the best available knowledge on eradicating cane toads Rhinella marina (formerly  Bufo marinus) in south-eastern NSW. They focus on areas where cane toads have not yet become established, where population numbers are still low and where the colder climate increases the chances of eradication.

Cane toads were introduced into Australia in 1935 and have since colonised large areas, especially in the northern part of the continent. They have contributed to the decline of several native species, and their continued expansion is likely to cause further declines in the endemic fauna of Australia (Phillips & Shine 2004; Lever 2001; Murray & Hose 2005). Cane toads are listed as a key threatening process under both the NSW Threatened Species Conservation Act 1995 and the  Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (see the Australian Government’s policy on cane toads).