Changes proposed for felines

A poison bait manufacturer is asking the Environmental Protection Authority to change the regulations about the need to inform land owners and householders when baits are laid to kill feral cats.

Connovation Ltd, manufacturer of PredaSTOP, is proposing that owners and householders should be notified when PredaSTOP baits are being laid as part of a cat control operation if their property is within 500m of any bait station. Currently, such advice must be given over a radius of 3km, which can require thousands of households to be notified, at significant costs.

The 3km rule, which Connovation says is unrealistic, came from a study that showed one cat travelled 2.29km from its owners’ home. The same study showed the average distance travelled was 200m.

Connovation says data from a range of studies suggests a 500m notification distance is sufficient to protect domestic cats.

Other existing controls set by the EPA would stay the same, including advising owners and householders of the approximate dates when baits will be laid and where, name and nature of the substance being used, risks to domestic animals and available antidotes.

Contact details for the person laying the baits must also be provided. The EPA is seeking public submissions on Connovation’s application.

Submitters are asked to identify any adverse or beneficial effects that might occur if the application is approved, how likely they are, and their potential scale.

Details about making a submission, which closes on May 25, are available on submissions@epa.govt.nz