Shipwreck Beach situation<\/a> is instructive. Predator control programs do exist on Kaua\u02bbi \u2014 in remote mountain colonies protecting \u02bba\u02bbo, or Newell\u2019s shearwater, and \u2018ua\u2019u, or Hawaiian Petrel, at upland nesting sites \u2014 and they have been highly effective at reducing predation and increasing seabird reproduction.<\/p>\nThese results are replicated around the world. Simply put: when non-native predators are removed, seabird populations recover. However, there was no such program at Keoneloa Bay (Shipwrecks). The colony was entirely unprotected. <\/p>\n
![\"Feral](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/260429_Shipwrecks_A-Raine-4-1024x768.jpg\")
Feral cats are suspected of killing 168 wedge-tailed shearwaters, an endemic seabird called \u2018ua\u2018u kani in Hawaiian, on the South Shore of Kaua\u2018i. (Courtesy: Andre Raine\/2026) <\/p>\n
Tellingly, an ear-tipped TNR cat was photographed in the colony after the deaths were reported. TNR had not removed this animal\u2019s predatory behavior or its access to the colony.<\/p>\n
The original authors suggest that feeding bans discourage responsible cat management. We respectfully disagree with the premise. Organized feeding of free-roaming cats in wildlife habitat is not responsible management; it subsidizes an introduced predator into an ecosystem that cannot afford one. It also encourages pet abandonment because owners believe their unwanted cat will be fed by others and they are correct, resulting in more outdoor cats.<\/p>\n
Where We Stand Together<\/p>\n
The shared ground between wildlife and cat welfare advocates is broader than recent debates suggest.<\/p>\n
We support affordable, accessible spay\/neuter services on every island; mandatory spay\/neuter for cats entering the state and for any cat over six months with reasonable exceptions for owners who wish to maintain intact animals; mandatory microchipping; stronger pet abandonment penalties; and public education campaigns about keeping cats indoors.<\/p>\n
Trap, neuter, and house \u2014 in a sanctuary or a permanent indoor home \u2014 is an outcome we can advocate for together.<\/p>\n
We do draw one clear line: funding that supports trap-neuter-and-house programs and accessible sterilization services should not be used to sustain free-roaming colonies on the landscape.<\/p>\n
We also must acknowledge a difficult reality: not every cat can be placed. Sanctuary space is limited, and adoptions cannot keep pace with the number of free-roaming cats. <\/p>\n
For cats that can\u2019t be adopted and for whom no enclosed option exists, humane dispatch must remain a legally protected option. Without it we and our wildlife suffer growing cat populations.<\/p>\n
A Specific Invitation<\/p>\n
We were also disappointed when the 2026 legislative session ended without progress. In the next session, we seek a framework built on these shared commitments, with humane dispatch retained as a professional option when placement is not possible.<\/p>\n
The wildlife in and on our oceans, beaches, wetlands, forests and mountains are not abstractions. They are what Hawai\u02bbi is. The cats born outside this year without a loving home deserve better too. Both things are true, and both demand more from all of us.<\/p>\n
Grant Sizemore, director of Invasive Species Programs for American Bird Conservancy; Thomas Daubert, Executive Director for Friends of Kaua\u02bbi Wildlife Refuges; Patrick Chee, Conservation Affairs Chair of The Wildlife Society Hawai\u02bbi; Jonee Peters, Executive Director of Conservation Council for Hawai\u02bbi; Michael Mitchell, a retired Deputy Project Leader, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service; Sabra Kauka, a Hawaiian Studies Kumu and Conservationist; Jay Penniman, Chair of Toxoplasmosis & At Large Cat Technical Working Group; Rich Downs, Coordinator of Hui Manu o K\u016b; and Birds Hawai\u02bbi Past Present contributed to this community voice.<\/p>\n
![\"Civil](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/1753322412_339_logo10.png\")
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