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Wool at risk in feral cat plague
24 Feb 2004
Tasmania's wool-growing industry is under threat from toxoplasmosis, which is being spread by feral cats. The disease causes infected ewes to abort or produce stillborns. The Wool Council said some Midlands growers have lost up to half of their new season's lambs to the disease.
Wool Council executive Roger Tyshing said these losses would reduce the genetic pool that growers have invested heavily in to build up. Income from the sale of fat lambs is seriously depleted and farmers can't afford this level of loss, he said.
Mr Tyshing called on the Tasmanian Government to introduce cat control programs, including the compulsory registration and desexing of domestic cats.
The Mercury, 24/2/04.
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