Rick,
You will need to sanitize your language enough to prevent rousing the warm-fuzzy lovers against you.  It would be hard enough to get politicians to put up money to collect and locally eradicate introduced molluscs, but cats!  PETA gets people roused up to protect rats from cruel behavior (those cruel rat traps!). Don't get them started on you with cats or they will treat you like a rat!  (By the way, there are cats that mess up my back yard if you want to start somewhere...)
Allen


From: Richard J Rego <[log in to unmask]>

I agree with the eradication of introduced species.  Though it is
possible with some species, such as goats, feral house cats, and possibly
birds; it is nearly impossible with such introduced species as fish,
insects, plants and to an extent, molluscs, especially with long-term
introduced populations.  I have always figured that a bounty system would
help.  A state/country/county/province/etc would come up with X amount of
dollars that could be paid out to people bringing in the introduced
species.  For example Peter, $10.00 for each bushel of Nuttalia.  The
collected species could be used for a variety of purposes, i.e. the
Nuttalia could be frozen and sold to commercial fisherman for bait or
chum.  Birds, fish, feral house cats could be killed and ground-up for
fertilizer (this doesn't settle well with the animal-rights type freaks
out there who believe that introduced species should be saved [outside of
their native habitats], especially the fuzzy furry little house cats).  A
recent article I read stated that free-roaming domestic cats are
non-native, food-subsidized predators that kill millions of birds,
reptiles and small mammals every year in America.  Their efficiency is
such that they are second only to humans in the number of extinctions
directly attributed to their species.  So if you find an introduced
species, do the environment a favor and step on it, run it over with your
car, throw it against the wall, shoot it, just plain get rid of it.  Many
native species will appreciate it.
Boy, this post should bring some protest!!!