New Zealand has announced plans to eradicate feral cats by 2050 as part of efforts to protect the country’s biodiversity.
In an interview with Radio New Zealand on Thursday (20), Conservation Minister Tama Potaka said feral cats are “cold-blooded killers” and will be included on the country’s Predator Free 2050 list, which aims to eliminate animals that negatively impact species such as birds, lizards and insects.
Cats had previously been excluded from the list, which includes species such as weasels, ferrets, mustelids, rats and , but Potaka used the interview to announce a change of position.
He defined a wild cat as an animal that lives independently of humans. “They kill to survive,” he said.
Among the options considered to eradicate feral cats are poisoned sausage bait and a type of poison that would be sprayed by a device on trees as they pass by, Potaka explained.
“To increase biodiversity, preserve the historic landscape and create the kind of environment we want to see, we need to get rid of some of these predators,” he said.
In a statement published on Friday (21), Potaka added more details to the plan.
“We know that people want their local reserves, beaches and bush trails to be full of birds, not predators,” he said.
“Feral cats are now found throughout Aotearoa New Zealand, from farms to forests, and put enormous pressure on native birds, bats, lizards and insects,” Potaka added.
The ministry reported that more than 100 short-tailed bats were killed in a single week by feral cats near the North Island town of Ohakune, and they also contributed to the near extinction of the southern bat on Stewart Island.
“They also spread toxoplasmosis, which harms dolphins, affects people and causes losses to farmers through the loss of livestock,” he said.
The statement also revealed that more than 90% of almost 3,400 contributions received from the public during a recent strategic consultation supported improving feral cat control.
Jessi Morgan, executive director of the Predator Free New Zealand Trust, a conservation organization that works to protect the country’s native species, celebrated the decision in an opinion piece published in local outlet The Post on Friday.
“In June, when the Department of Conservation opened the Predator Free 2050 strategy for public consultation, they asked the public about feral cats,” he wrote.
“The response was loud and clear: feral cats must be added to the target list.”
Officials will release more details about the plan in an updated version of the Predator Free 2050 Strategy, scheduled for release in March.
The statement also addressed concerns about the impact on pet cats.
“New Zealand has many proud cat owners, and domestic pets are not part of this Predator Free objective,” Potaka said in the statement.
“Responsible ownership, neutering, microchipping and keeping cats out of the wild remain an important part of the solution.”
