Document ID: chunk:federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01747:reg:4:p48
Version: federal_register_of_legislation:F2024L01747
Segment Type: reg
Provision Reference: reg 4 (pt 48/80)
Character Range: 167741–171336

people, and pets.

     8.3 Objective 3. Undertake research on cat ecology and impacts to inform management undertaken across multiple objectives

     Rationale

Over the period spanned by successive threat abatement plans for feral cats, there has been a major research focus on the ecology, management and impacts of cats in Australia, and this has built a robust and broad evidence base. However, some knowledge gaps continue to constrain effective management. A comprehensive assessment of research priorities for the management of feral cats has recently been compiled by the Western Australian Biodiversity Science Institute in collaboration with the Western Australian Feral Cat Working Group (see Appendix 3). This compilation (Webber 2020) is broadly relevant across Australia.

This objective includes actions relating to fundamental research on some aspects of cat ecology and impacts, and of the ecology and management needs for cat-susceptible native species. One important knowledge gap relates to the occurrence of cats on islands. Although the presence or absence of cats is known for many Australian islands, there are also many islands where this status is not known or documented. To help identify current and potential havens, and inform prioritisation for feral cat eradications on islands, there is some need for targeted island surveys. Such surveys could also usefully assess the occurrence on islands of threatened species, breeding colonies of seabirds and other species, and of pest species; and help identify constraints to feral cat eradication efforts.

This objective focuses on research that is relevant to multiple other objectives. Note that additional research actions related to specific objectives are also described under those objectives.

Note that some actions support or extend existing research and reinforce the importance of continuing, expanding, refining or adapting those existing efforts.

     Performance Criteria

      Table 6 Objective 3. Performance Criteria

Objective 3. Performance criteria                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        Evaluate progress
ENHANCE KNOWLEDGE - Key priorities for further expansion of the evidence base are addressed
For all islands more than 10 ha with known or potential high conservation values, and for which the cat status is currently unknown, the presence or absence of cats is resolved through field survey or consultation (this will inform the prioritisation carried out in Objective 2).  2029 and 2034
Surveillance monitoring for increased cat impacts is established in at least 5 locations where cat-susceptible species are still abundant.                                                                                                                                               2029 and 2034
The prevalence of the Toxoplasma gondii parasite and other cat-borne disease-causing pathogens in cats, and in native species, is documented across Australia, and the susceptibility of native species to the disease is better understood.                                             2029 and 2034
The impacts of varying levels of cat predation on population viability across at least 50% of threatened species that are of extreme or high susceptibility are described.                                                                                                               2034

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