THE federal opposition is considering declaring a war on camels as part of its climate change policy, arguing that the desert pest is responsible for more emissions than the exhaust of 300,000 cars.
When the government earmarked $19 million for a camel cull in July, it sparked international outrage, but the coalition wants to take it up a notch and decimate the million-strong camel population in the name of the environment, the Australian Financial Review reports.
The Nationals are pushing for the mass cull, arguing that it would not only reduce emissions but also prevent millions of dollars of damage to the environment and farm infrastructure, such as fences and water troughs.
Coalition agriculture spokesman John Cobb, a Nationals MP, said it was high time the government got serious about eradicating the camel scourge, just as feral buffaloes were wiped out in the early 1980s.
"If you were to get rid of all the feral camels, it would be equivalent to taking away 2.5 per cent of emissions from all the cars on Australia's roads," he said.
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