Dr Heather Channon has spent her career working in different areas of Australia's pork industry before becoming, in March 2020, the first National Management Coordinator to tackle the growing issue of feral pigs in Australia.
As the first National Feral Pig Management Coordinator, Dr Channon advocates for better management strategies by improving project coordination and creating more collaborative systems. In her role, Heather is passionate about doing all she can to demonstrate to landowners the benefits of working more closely together to reduce feral pig populations and the impacts of feral pigs.
Early in her career, Dr Channon spent a decade as a research scientist (meat science) with the Victorian Department of Primary Industries in Werribee, working to understand the impact of processing and post-slaughter factors on pork quality.
She went on to work for Australian Pork Limited, where she worked in the Research and Innovation Division while undertaking her PhD at the University of Melbourne.
Dr Channon's experience in the domestic pork industry gives her a unique insight into the importance of managing feral pigs to prevent biosecurity or disease outbreaks in the industry, particularly in the face of risks posed by African swine fever, a highly contagious disease that could decimate pork production if ever introduced.
Opportunities to introduce existing and new management and monitoring approaches into on-ground management programs are continuously being explored through new research, development and adoption programs. Strong emphasis is also being placed on strengthening relationships between all of the coordinated programs being conducted across Australia.
If you'd like to connect with this network, share information about your local program or have ideas about how the National Feral Pig Action Plan's activities can add value to your program, don't hesitate to get in touch.
