Qld: Court to decide flying foxes fate

AAP General News (Australia)
12-11-2000
Qld: Court to decide flying foxes fate

BRISBANE, Dec 11 AAP - Conservationists have applied to the Federal Court to stop a
North Queensland lychee farmer from electrocuting thousands of flying foxes.

The North Queensland Conservation Council applied for an injunction last Friday and
the federal court will hear the matter in Brisbane on Wednesday.

Council spokeswoman Carol Booth said today that observers believed at least 5000 to
6000 flying foxes had been killed by the farmer in just two weeks.

Dr Booth said the cull would harm the population of the spectacled flying fox, which
has already declined significantly in recent years.

She said the farmer, Rohan Bosworth, had obtained a permit from the Queensland Parks
and Wildlife Service to "take" 500 flying foxes in total over the whole season until the
end of January.

"He has exceeded that number in one or two nights," Dr Booth said.

In its application to the federal court, the conservation council wants to stop Mr
Bosworth from using electric grids to electrocute flying foxes until a trial can be held
to determine whether he needs the approval of Environment Australia.

The application argues that the decline in the region's spectacled flying fox population,
which fell from 114,000 in November 1998 to 74,400 a year later, will jeopardise the world
heritage values of the Wet Tropics Area.

Environmentalists have been monitoring the deaths of flying foxes on Mr Bosworth's
farm, which is near Cardwell - between Cairns and Townsville.

"In four separate counts observers have documented the deaths of 300 to 500 flying
foxes a night," Dr Booth said.

Dr Booth said that instead of killing the foxes, Mr Bosworth should be protecting the
lychees with netting.

Comment was being sought from Mr Bosworth.

aap sc/jase

KEYWORD: FOX

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