Its report on the data shows shooting, poisoning (with 1080 and strychnine) and trapping were the main methods of reducing wildlife on private properties.

Last year, the top animals targeted were kangaroos and wallabies (419,120); birds including corellas, cockatoos, lorikeets, swallows, black ducks, grey teals and wood ducks (580,695); wombats (3558) and possums (2050).

Humane Society advocates non-lethal methods of protecting crops and livestock, including fencing and companion animals such as donkeys, alpacas, dogs and llamas, which are used to protect sheep.

“We completely recognise there is an impact on commercial practices from wildlife, but we’re seeing that these justifications for killing are extremely low, with very little apparent interest in doing things a better way,” he said.

“We’ve been killing for hundreds of years as an answer to supposed wildlife conflict, and we really need to change that culture to one of coexistence.”

Victorian Farmers Federation president Emma Germano said non-lethal methods were vastly more expensive and often impractical.

“It’s not farms versus the environment. It’s farms as part of the environment,” she said.

“Ultimately, any of these decisions are a trade-off because a farmer can’t just put the price of their product up because the market dictates what the price is.”

Get to the heart of what’s happening with climate change and the environment. Sign up for our fortnightly Environment newsletter.