We are talking about vermin, particularly foxes and rabbits.

Last year we protested vociferously about rabbits overrunning the countryside.

Our call to action met a deafening wall of indifference from those in authority.

Now, we hear that the government's fox bounty has cleared 18,600 foxes from the region.

That's fine, but what about the consequences the large-scale removal of predators that help keep rabbits in check?

The consequent population explosion of rabbits is causing a vast amount of environmental damage.

Landowners are told to clean up their properties and are prosecuted through the courts if they fail to do so yet public land managers just over the road turn a blind eye to the pesky varmints on their own land.

To add insult to injury, landowners are told to control rabbits with both hands tied behind their backs. Regulations, restrictions and red tape make it almost impossible to make a serious dent in the plague.

Authorities have wiped out rabbits on Macquarie Island after a concerted campaign. We'd appreciate them treating the Wimmera's rabbit plague just as seriously.

Keith Lockwood, chief sub-editor