In a move that has stunned conservationists, the Queensland government has quietly scrapped a looming ban on the shooting of flying foxes, effectively prioritizing lethal crop protection over animal welfare.

The decision reverses a 2023 commitment to phase out the practice by July 2026, catching environmental groups off guard and reigniting a fierce debate on agricultural ethics.

For the Kenyan observer, this development strikes a familiar chord. Just as local farmers in Murang’a and Meru grapple with primates and elephants raiding harvests, Australian growers are at war with native pollinators. The reversal allows the continued issuance of permits for farmers to shoot these bats to protect stone fruit and other produce, despite evidence suggesting non-lethal alternatives are superior.

A License to Kill

Under the reinstated protocols, the state’s environment department will continue to authorize an annual statewide quota of 1,630 animals. This lethal allowance is not limited to common species; it includes the grey-headed flying fox, a species currently listed as vulnerable under federal environment laws.

The specific quotas break down as follows:

• 130 Grey-headed flying foxes (Vulnerable status)
• 700 Black flying foxes
• 800 Little red flying foxes

The original plan, announced in 2023, was designed to provide a three-year transition period. This window was intended to allow farmers to invest in exclusion netting—a method widely used by Kenya’s export-grade avocado farmers—which creates a physical barrier between the wildlife and the crop without harming the ecosystem.

The 'Barbaric' Reality

Critics argue that the reversal is not just bad policy, but cruel. Lawrence Pope, a spokesperson for the advocacy group Friends of Bats & Bushcare, condemned the decision as “barbaric.” He described a grim reality where animals are rarely killed instantly.

“Females carrying pups were often cruelly smashed by pellets,” Pope noted, emphasizing that many animals suffer slow, agonizing deaths. Furthermore, he warned of collateral damage. While the endangered spectacled flying fox is not technically part of the kill quota, distinguishing between species in the dark is notoriously difficult, putting them at grave risk.

The state government’s decision to backtrack was reportedly made in December without consulting conservationists. This lack of transparency mirrors challenges often seen in global environmental governance, where economic pressure from the agricultural sector frequently overrides ecological concerns.

As climate change drives wildlife closer to human settlements in search of food, the choice between coexistence and eradication is no longer just an Australian dilemma—it is a global test of how we value the creatures that sustain our ecosystems.