GYMPIE region landholders will attend a forum in the Civic Centre on Thursday on the impact and management of feral animals in this region.

In south east Queensland and the Wide Bay region, feral animals including foxes, cats, pigs and deer are causing widespread destruction to farming areas and loss of biodiversity.

Deer out-compete native wildlife. Foxes, cats and wild dogs prey on domestic and native animals as well as turtle eggs.

Feral pigs are one of the most destructive of all, causing widespread damage to crops and vegetation, as well as spreading diseases and parasites.

The Feral Fauna Forum targets land managers and lands protection officers from across the region to improve awareness and establish networks which target feral animal control.

The forum will provide an avenue for updating land managers with information on locations of pest species and current management techniques.

It will also have a focus on co-ordinated planning between land managers across the region to enable management of pest species to be collaborative and to ensure that education and information dissemination is targeted to areas where it is most needed.

For more information on the forum phone 5482 4766 or email mrccc@ozwide.net.au.