FISH AND GAME CANCEL CAT CULL COMPETITION
Source: Stuff (Extract)
Posted: April 20, 2021
An online backlash against a competition encouraging people to kill feral cats has resulted in the plan being cancelled.
A social media post by animal welfare group HUHA New Zealand with a picture of a Fish & Game ad promoting its “Lake Wairarapa Cat Comp” asked people “So how does this make you feel?”.
The post generated more than 800 comments, many of which supported the control of feral cats, but disagreed with the tactic to make it into a competition.
The competition encouraged hunters to “cull” the cats, which could not be easily trapped, take a picture, send it to Fish & Game and be in to win a prize.
Fish and Game accepted that the competition might not have been the right way to encourage feral cat control.
Wellington senior field officer Dr Matt Kavermann said Fish and Game apologised for any concern caused to people by their initiative on the edges of Lake Wairarapa.
He said feral cats “wreak havoc on wildlife” and it appeared other strategies to control the cats in the area were not working.
“Anecdotal evidence suggests the predator control work carried out by authorities in and around the wetlands is not keeping on top of the feral cat population.”
“We accept, however, we were wrong to incentivise predator control in this way and have contacted all hunters on our database to inform them the competition has been cancelled.”
He said Fish and Game would continue to encourage hunters to help curb feral cat numbers.
“Because duck hunters visit the remote corners of the wetland complex, they are ideally placed to assist in the management of the feral cat population,” Kavermann said.
Wayne O’Donnell, of Greater Wellington Regional Council, said they only supported humane pest management which they undertook as part of a wider management group.
“There is no place for, and we would not support, any other approach.”
HUHA was approached for comment.
Feral cats have long been a problem around the shores of southern Wairarapa lakes, not just for waterfowl, but for many protected species such as the Caspian tern.
