Feral cats, such as this one eating a kākāriki on Maukahuka/Auckland Island, are now on the Predator Free 2050 hit list. Photo / Department of Conservation
By Farah Hancock of RNZ
Feral cats will be added to Predator Free 2050’s hit list, a sharp change of policy announced by Conservation Minister Tama Potaka.
Describing feral cats as “stone cold killers”, Potaka told RNZ they would “join their buddies, stoats, ferrets, weasels – mustelids, rats and possums” on the official list for eradication.
The move appears to be a sudden change of tack after RNZ’s reporting this week pointed out Prime Minister Christopher Luxon had promised during a 2023 election debate to add feral cats but failed to do so.
A proposal recently circulated by the Government suggested feral cats should continue to be excluded from the strategy, and Potaka made no mention of including them when approached by RNZ this month about Luxon’s campaign promise.
But today, Potaka said it had been decided a couple of weeks ago to include them. He would not say why it was announced today.
It marks the first change to the list of species since the target’s inception in 2016, when then-Prime Minister John Key announced the predator-free goal.
Potaka said feral cats were “stone cold killers”, responsible for killing birds, bats, lizards and insects.
“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.”
The number of feral cats in New Zealand is unknown, but estimates range from 2.4 million upwards. They’re apex predators, which have been linked to the extinction of several native bird species. They also hunt bats, lizards, frogs and even insects such as wētā.
The announcement comes before the results of a review of the Predator Free 2050 strategy due to be publicly revealed early next year.
The review included a proposal the public was invited to give feedback on. The proposal suggested feral cats be excluded for now, saying eradication wasn’t feasible. However, it did ask for public feedback on the benefits and risks of not including them.
The decision not to include them in the review drew criticism from conservationists, who said it was a “misread of the room” and the dial had shifted on the public’s understanding and acceptance of the issue.
Potaka said the proposal generated a large number of submissions, and the majority called for feral cats to be included in the target species list.
Today’s about-turn on feral cats’ inclusion was welcomed by conservation groups. The chief executive of the charity group Predator Free New Zealand Trust, Jessi Morgan, said she’d been hoping for the inclusion for years.
“I can’t believe it really, I’m thrilled that decision has been made and I think it’s the right decision for New Zealand, and I think New Zealand is ready.”
She said public opinion had shifted on the topic.
“There’s understanding that feral cats are a completely different kettle of fish to the cats that are sitting on your lap at night watching Shortland Street with you.”
Potaka said the inclusion will drive an increased focus on the eradication of feral cats.
This could involve investigating different ways to target them through poisoning, such as sausage baits laced with poison, or “spit” based methods where a poison is sprayed on the cat.
“There may be other options in the future, like genetic options or genetic solutions that can help reduce and eliminate any of these predators. Those are yet to be found, of course.”
Potaka said scientist Sir Peter Gluckman had been in touch with him on possible scientific advancements which could be implemented.
The minister did not specify what funding would be put behind eradicating feral cats, but said money from the International Visitor Levy was already going toward predator eradication.
Revenue from the levy has emerged at the same time as Jobs for Nature funding came to an end, and the company set up under Key to spearhead Predator Free New Zealand was wound up this year to save $12.6 million over three years.
The functions of the company were handed to the Department of Conservation (DoC). Costs for managing the company’s existing projects and contracts fell to DoC, which got no extra money earmarked for Predator Free 2050 other than a transfer of $2.3m already allocated to Predator Free 2050 Ltd.
Morgan, from the Predator Free New Zealand Trust, said the inclusion of cats would send a strong message to councils that feral cats are now on the hit list.
“It will impact, hopefully, the policies that regional councils are putting out there to include better measures around feral cats,” she said.
The inclusion on the predator hit list has the potential to drive other changes.
Feral cats are wild cats, which survive without human help, and are the only cats targeted for eradication. But the challenge of including a common pet species in the predator-free line-up could mean pet cats will need protection.
This may come in the form of regulations, such as registration and microchipping. Potaka said he couldn’t confirm if this would happen.
“That’s for another day, and I’m sure that our Government, at some stage, will look at that more intensely,” he said, adding that it was a hot topic for National MP Barbara Kuriger.
Kuriger and Green MP Celia Wade-Brown have a member’s bill calling for compulsory microchipping and registration of companion cats. Currently, the bill would need to be drawn from a ballot to be considered, although the Government could also adopt it. Kuriger and Wade-Brown could also get the support of 61 backbench MPs across Parliament for it to be advanced for a first reading.
Potaka said he’s a cat person himself, and owns two rescue cats, Haku and three-legged Scout. He said as a cat lover he has no qualms about cats being added to Predator Free 2050.
“No, I don’t, but I want to make sure my cats have their relevant microchips, which they do, and they’re looked after, and there’s a very clear distinction between companion cats and feral cats.”
– RNZ