The numbers of meadow birds are declining due to predators, including cats, making it necessary to shoot them, Nature and Nitrogen Minister Christiane van der Wal said on March 23, according to the online publication NieuweOogst.
The Animal Protection Party opposes shooting stray cats, as is already being done in Friesland. He recalled that the House of Representatives requested an end to the shooting. The minister refused to comply with the request.
According to the minister, the number of meadow birds is declining “largely as a result of human intervention in the habitat”. “This is a consequence of increasing urbanization, the intensification of agriculture and the decrease in the level of groundwater. Increased predation pressure also plays a role. The prevention of predation on meadowfowl by cats, among other things, is becoming an increasing priority in agricultural nature management protection and landscape management.”.
Cats are not among the commercial species and hunting them is prohibited. Shooting is possible in the context of cat damage control. Friesland is the only province where stray cats are currently shot. In this way, the provincial government hopes to reduce predator pressure on grassland birds.
The Party for the Animals’ proposal to trap, neuter and chip cats only makes sense for population control, Van der Valya said. “After the return of feral cats to the wild, predation on vulnerable bird species will continue.”
The University of Groningen, on behalf of the Minister, is conducting a study on the influence of predators on the population of meadow birds. It will end in 2025.
Source: Rossa Primavera
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