War declared on feral cats before they cause more extinctions

The $400,000 project is trying to cook up a bait which is safe around native animals.

The project is one of many announced by the government as it opens consultation on an action plan to stop feral cats from decimating native wildlife and driving vulnerable native species to the brink of extinction.

The plan aims to sets new goals to reduce feral cat numbers across Australia.

Cats kill two billion reptiles, birds and mammals every year in Australia, or almost six million every night.

Experts say feral cats have played a role in two thirds of mammal extinctions during the past 200 years and now threaten more than 200 nationally listed threatened species, including the Greater Bilby, Numbat, and Gilbert's potoroo.

The government's response comes as the United Nations Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services said Australia has lost more native mammal species than any other continent, with more than 100 species listed as either extinct or extinct in the wild.

Australia's most impactful invasive alien vertebrates in terms of biodiversity impacts are feral cats on land and European carp in rivers, according to the CSIRO.

Feral cats are also blamed for carry deadly diseases.

The government said the plan's goals were to prevent any new extinctions caused by feral cats and making sure feral cats do not endanger native species which are not currently threatened.

The plan outlines legislative, planning, and research needs to ensure effective management of this destructive predator.

It considers advances in technology and the development of new tools to control feral cats, such as the Felixer cat grooming trap.

It also looks at preventing cats from spreading to islands, removing cats from key areas, and expanding cat-free fenced and island havens.

As well as the research project into poison baits for the north, the government is spending $4 million to eradicate feral cats from Christmas Island and $2.3 million towards the French Island feral cat eradication program.

Public consultation on the new plan is open until December 2023.

Environment and Water Minister Tanya Plibersek said feral cats are are walking, stalking, ruthless killers.

"If we don't act now, our native animals don't stand a chance," she said.

"I want to see a feral cat free Australia. If we are serious about protecting our precious threatened species, then we have to tackle one of their biggest killers.

"We are declaring war on feral cats. And today, we are setting up our battle plan to win that war."

The Invasive Species Council and the Biodiversity Council have welcomed the release of the government's plan for public consultation.

Professor Sarah Legge, who contributed to the draft plan, and is a member of the Biodiversity Council said: "This is an important and ambitious plan to take serious action on one of the greatest threats to Australia's native wildlife.

'The environmental toll from feral and roaming pet cats cannot be understated. They are responsible for the deaths of an estimated 2 billion native mammals, birds, reptiles and frogs every year and have driven over 25 of our native species to extinction," she said.

Invasive Species Council advocacy manager Jack Gough said: "We need our governments to step up with funding, focus and reform that matches the seriousness of this threat to our wildlife.

"We are pleased to see such a comprehensive threat abatement plan released for consultation. Importantly it highlights the opportunities around island eradications, supporting indigenous rangers and the need for state and territory legislation and policies to enable effective cat control and responsible pet ownership.

"But this can't be a plan that just collects dust on a shelf, it needs real money to shape action on the ground. Success depends on the Albanese Government stepping up to commit the $60 million in funding the plan says is needed over the next four years," Mr Gough said.

"At a minimum, all state and territory governments should declare feral cats to be pests, support all appropriate control tools and develop their own feral cat plans."