Update on Fisherman's Cove colony of cats

April 29th
Here is an update: I have take 8 cats in total from Fisherman's Cove. Four of them were kittens or tame cats that had been dumped there, so I sent them into adoption programs. They don't deserve to endure the hazards of living outside!

The other 4 cats were young semi-ferals that I wanted to return to the Cove after they had been tested, vaccinated and spayed/neutered, BUT too many people were objecting to me returning them. Some fishermen threatened to kill them if they caught the cats on board their vessels... Harbour authorities also said they will poison them. Other cruel individuals threaten to shoot them, just because they see the cats as a nuisance.

So I ended up relocating these 4 cats to a barn, thanks to help from the Provincial SPCA

A maintenance worker was quite upset with me for removing cats - and told me I better pay for rat removal too! How can I please everyone?

The day after an article was published in the Chronicle Herald, I found a dead cat at the Cove, so it was sent for an autopsy, to determine if it was natural causes or cruelty (ex: shooting, poison, drowning). I am aware that some people making threats are just "acting tough" but I have had confirmed reports of men beating a cat to death with a shovel... I don't want to catch the individuals, just to educate the community at large about cats and hopefully prevent more cruelty.

I know TNR (Trap, Neuter, Return) is the only effective way of managing cat colonies, but I cannot get the locals of Fisherman's Cove to come to an agreement on what to do... Some folks are mad if I don't take away the cats, others are upset if I DO take away the cats.. I just can't win!!! And nobody in the community has offered to assist financially, so I have to fundraise and spend money out of my own pocket to pay for the vet work.

If all the cats were removed, it creates a vacuum effect and more cats would move into the territory and start the cycle all over again. So TNR is the only way to maintain a stable colony size and keep the rat catchers working!
Two of the cats I caught were pregnant, so the vet spayed them to prevent the birth of more kittens who would suffer. One black cat has had her kittens and is hiding them outside somewhere, hopefully I will find them before it's too late. There are also 2 other pregnant cats there, ready to drop any day!

Suggestions are welcomed.