Jul 27, 2022 19:00:00

Polish authorities have decided that 'domestic cats are an invasive alien species that came 10,000 years ago,' and cat lovers oppose it in a great debate.

Domestic cats (domestic cats) have been added to the alien species database created by the Nature Conservation Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), a major academic institution in Poland, and have been certified as 'invasive alien species'. Cat lovers strongly opposed this decision.

Gatunki obce w Polsce

https://www.iop.krakow.pl/ias/problem/czesto-zadawane-pytania

Cats classified as invasive species by Polish scientific body | Notes From Poland
https://notesfrompoland.com/2022/07/19/cats-classified-as-invasive-species-by-polish-scientific-body/

Cats Are An Alien Invasive Species, Poland Declares
https://www.vice.com/en/article/m7gvzp/cats-are-an-alien-invasive-species-poland-declares

In July 2022, a biologist specializing in alien species at Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Rafau Masiasek revealed that the domestic cat (Felis catus) was added to the list of alien species in PAN, which has been aggregated since 1999. I made it. In response to this, cat lovers rebelled violently, and it was said that it developed into a great debate in Japan.

According to a controversial blog published by PAN, the felines that make up domestic cats were domesticated about 10,000 years ago at the birthplace of the great civilization of the ancient Near East, which stretches from the Nile basin to southern Mesopotamia. 'From a purely scientific point of view, domestic cats should be considered exotic in Europe, including Poland,' he said.

As the announcement caused confusion and anxiety for cat owners, Polish environmental protection officials said, 'Because domestic cats are not on the official list of exotic species in the country or EU, they are not subject to regulation and are not subject to breeding. No permission is required to buy or sell. '

While there was opposition to the opinion that domestic cats are exotic species, the opinion that domestic cats are native species was also opposed by scientists. In 2021, a major Polish opposition submitted a bill that legally recognized domestic cats as 'an integral part of the urban ecosystem,' criticized by many scientists and pointed out that domestic cats are exotic. Was being done.

According to a

study published in the international scientific journal Global Ecology and Conservation in 2019, domestic cats, which often roam freely outside, are more than 630 million mammals and 140 million birds each year in Poland. It seems that he is killing.

Including domestic cats in the list of alien species can block the claims of local governments, for example, that 'cats are part of Poland's nature,' Masiasek said. Even if a claim is made to treat a domestic cat in the same way as a native species such as a wildcat or a lynx, it may be rejected by defining it as an exotic species.

PAN wrote in a blog, 'Given the clear scientific evidence that domestic cats have a negative impact on native biodiversity, they should be counted as invasive alien species in our country. This opinion should be counted as an invasive alien species. This opinion is from the European Commission. It is in line with the opinion developed by the Invasive Species Team. ' Environmental protection officials say that no permits are required to raise or sell domestic cats, but emphasize that domestic cats can pose a serious threat to wildlife, especially birds, and should not be taken outdoors without proper supervision by their owners. Did.