Hobart: The Australian island state of Tasmania’s feral deer population has surged by nearly 20,000 in five years, prompting calls from government and industry to strengthen control measures. An aerial survey conducted in October 2024 and released on Thursday estimated the population at 71,655, up from 53,660 in 2019.

According to Namibia Press Agency, the study found deer numbers are rising by an average of 6 percent year on year over the 5-year period and are spreading west towards environmentally sensitive areas. Tasmania’s Minister for Primary Industries and Water, Gavin Pearce, said the latest results would guide future management, while acknowledging more action is needed.

“As a priority, we are working with industry to unlock more public and private land for recreational hunting and progressing our work to further streamline permits to remove red tape and make it easier for farmers, foresters, and hunters to control deer,” Pearce said. A third aerial survey is planned for 2027 alongside a new Deer Plan to replace the current strategy, he said.

Farmers and conservationists argue that the growth highlights policy failures, warning that deer are damaging ecosystems, farmland, and increasing road risks. Conservation officer Tiana Pirtle of Australia’s Invasive Species Council, a charitable organization advocating for tougher deer management policies in Tasmania, called for a “dramatic change of direction,” according to an Australian Broadcasting Corporation report.

Deer were introduced to Tasmania in the 1800s and today are managed under zones allowing sustainable hunting in some areas while prohibiting it in others, the report said.