반려묘와 야생고양이를 어떻게 구분하죠? 일본서도 갈등

In recent years, Japan's Environment Agency revised the list of invasive species after ten years, replacing the term "wild cat" (노네코) with "cat" (이에네코). The "wild cat" classification was due to damage caused to native rare species or for hunting purposes. However, cats have relationships and habitats that vary greatly, being categorized as "pet cats," "local cats," and "road cats" among others.

The "Public Animal Protection and Management Act" treats "wild cats" as animals that can be hunted with permission, but the "Animal Welfare Act" punishes abuse against cats, including pets. It's practically impossible to distinguish whether a cat seen on the street is a wild cat or not. This has led to criticisms that the invasive species management policy is ineffective.

In response, the Japanese government decided to include the entire animal species in the management target instead of the "wild cat" classification. The International Union for Conservation of Nature's Invasive Species Specialist Group (IUCN ISSG) has included cats in its list of invasive species, outlining ecological damage caused by them.

Nonetheless, Japan's largest animal organization, "Doitsu-Gen," strongly opposed the change, voicing concerns about the indiscriminate capture of stray cats and road cats and submitting a petition with 70,000 signatures. As a result, the agency withdrew the revised plan last week and maintained the "wild cat" classification. However, the conflict continues.

Doitsu-Gen submitted another opinion to the agency, suggesting that the "wild cat" list should be completely removed since it's impossible to distinguish whether a cat seen in the wild is a wild cat or not. Meanwhile, others criticized the policy as being politically reversed despite being based on scientific research.