New Zealand has unveiled plans to eradicate feral cats by 2050, marking a significant shift in its Predator Free strategy aimed at protecting vulnerable native species.
Conservation Minister Tama Potaka confirmed the move during an interview with Radio New Zealand on Thursday, describing feral cats as “stone cold killers” and announcing they would be added to the Predator Free 2050 list. The programme targets species that threaten birds, bats, lizards and insects.
Cats had previously been excluded from the list, home to stoats, ferrets, weasels, rats and possums, but Potaka said the government had reassessed their impact. He defined a feral cat as a wild animal living without human dependence, saying, “They kill to survive.”
Potaka outlined possible eradication methods, including poisoned sausage bait and a tree-mounted device that sprays poison as cats walk past.
“In order to boost biodiversity, to boost heritage landscape and to boost the type of place we want to see, we’ve got to get rid of some of these killers,” he said, CNN has quoted.
In a statement released Friday, Potaka expanded on the plan, noting the public’s desire for thriving native wildlife. “We know people want their local reserves, beaches and bush tracks to be full of birds, not predators,” he said. “Feral cats are now found across Aotearoa New Zealand, from farms to forests, and they put huge pressure on native birds, bats, lizards and insects,” as quoted by CNN.
The ministry cited alarming examples of damage caused by feral cats, including the killing of more than 100 short-tailed bats in a single week near Ohakune and their role in pushing the southern dotterel on Stewart Island close to extinction.
CNN has quoted, “They also spread toxoplasmosis, which harms dolphins, affects people, and costs farmers through lost stock,” Potaka added. The ministry said nearly 90% of the 3,400 public submissions in a recent consultation supported stronger feral cat management.
The decision was welcomed by conservation groups. Jessi Morgan, chief executive of the Predator Free New Zealand Trust, wrote in The Post that public sentiment was overwhelmingly supportive. “In June, when the Department of Conservation opened the Predator Free 2050 strategy up for consultation, they asked the public about feral cats,” she noted. “The response was loud and clear: feral cats belong on the target list.” CNN has quoted.
More details will be published in the updated Predator Free 2050 Strategy, expected in March.
Addressing concerns from pet owners, Potaka stressed that the policy does not apply to domestic animals. “New Zealand is full of proud cat owners, and domestic pets are not part of this Predator Free target,” he said, adding that “Responsible ownership, desexing, microchipping, and keeping cats away from wildlife, remains an important part of the solution,” as quoted by CNN.