Protection of Biodiversity in Australia: Is Killing Cats an Effective and Ethical Approach?

Publisher:
Lexis Nexis
Publication Type:
Journal Article
Citation:
Juriste International, 2021, 2021, (1), pp. 49-52
Issue Date:
2021-06-15
Full metadata record
Cats classified as feral, are considered to be a major environmental problem in Australia because of their perceived detrimental impacts on native biodiversity. Regulators frequently turn to poisoning, shooting and lethal trapping, resulting in killing per se becoming the regulatory objective. In some jurisdictions this approach has extended to stray cats, as well as cats described as game animals. Yet, there is little evidence that in the long-term, broadscale killing has led to reductions in feral or stray cat numbers, or to improved environmental outcomes. Instead, killing raises challenging cat welfare issues that overlap with environmental management, calling for a renewed focus on the goal of mitigating environmental harm, rather than emphasizing the number of cats killed.
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