Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01747:reg:4:p26
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01747
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 4 (pt 26/80)
Character Range: 76002–79169

un-threatened species from becoming threatened. Continuing to refine and support the use of these control options is essential, whilst new control approaches are developed.

New modifications or options for feral cat control aim to increase target specificity, increase efficacy, improve humaneness, or offer longer-term solutions, when compared to existing options. For example:

    * New toxin formulations and delivery systems aim to improve welfare outcomes and target specificity.

    * Technologies such as network connected camera trap arrays linked to AI software and remote trap monitoring systems are vastly improving the efficiencies of monitoring and control at landscape-scales.

    * Guardian dogs could potentially repel introduced predators from sites without requiring lethal feral cat control.

    * Synthetic biology such as immunocontraception and using gene drives to engineer cat genomes could potentially increase the scale at which feral cat populations can be effectively managed.

Although eradicating feral cats from the continent remains infeasible in the short- to medium- term, increasing the scale and effectiveness of control, including increasing the number and extent of cat-free areas and islands, is achievable.

In food webs, cats are medium-sized predators that interact with prey species and other predators, including other introduced pest species. In particular, rabbit and rodent populations can sustain elevated populations of cats in some areas, and foxes may reduce the abundance of cats. Cat management should be integrated with concurrent management for foxes, rabbits and introduced rodents, to optimise overall conservation benefits and to reduce the likelihood of unintended outcomes.

     5.1 Public support for cat management

A majority of the Australian public recognises that cats have a negative effect on wildlife, and supports the management of cats to reduce that impact (refer to section 6 of the background document). However, ongoing communication and engagement, particularly to include culturally and linguistically diverse communities, including those with recent emigrants from countries where cats are not considered a problem for wildlife, is important for further growing awareness of cat impacts and support for ongoing cat management, as well as for promoting and increasing the uptake of responsible cat ownership practices.

In addition, the early engagement for this plan highlighted the need to greatly improve access to information about feral and pet cat impacts (on wildlife, Country, and human health) and management options to First Nations communities. Currently, the mainstream platforms with information about cat impacts and control are almost universally not used by First Nations rangers, and there is little culturally appropriate information available to community members more broadly.

     6 Guiding principles for plan development and implementation

The threat abatement plan has been developed, and should be implemented, in accordance with the following guiding principles:

1. Stakeholder groups with interests in cat management and welfare should be respectfully