The Department of Conservation (DOC) will introduce an online permit system for trapping feral cats on conservation land, with rollout planned within the next 12 months. The change is intended to make trapping processes simpler and more straightforward for hunters and other permitted operators. Currently, trapping may require adapting existing permissions for different species and purposes. One example described by RNZ involves hunter Victor Tindale, who adapted a commercial possum fur trapping permit to trap feral cats in Fiordland National Park. Under the new system, applicants are expected to use DOC’s online platform rather than relying on workarounds or repurposed permits. The reports do not specify the exact application steps, permit conditions, or whether additional categories or limits will apply. Both outlets frame the initiative as an administrative improvement, reducing barriers to legal trapping while maintaining DOC oversight of conservation activities. The rollout timing is the same across the coverage, and both sources describe the shift toward easier access to permissions through DOC’s online system.