Your Say...

People speak out (page 3)

Below, we have reproduced just a sample from the hundreds of comments received through the  feedback forms and (mostly) from the online "Don't Shoot Bats" petition.  Clearly, many people in Queensland and beyond have a love and respect for our natural environment.  Every one is a genuine, verified submission. A large number of these comments came from regional and rural areas of Qld.
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Queensland Speaks

• "What a step backwards for nature conservation in this state, have we not learnt from past mistakes?! This is a great example of why the rest of the country mock Qld for being slow and backward. We can meet halfway with these farmers but not at the cost of executing our native wildlife. Bats have been victimized for way to long and I won't support a government that allows the slaughter of innocent animals." R.M. QLD 
  
• "There has to be a better way!!" J.H. QLD 
  
• "Flying foxes are vital to our rain forests' survival, abd 2 species are vulnerable. This is a simplistic attempt to get the votes of non-thinking people" P.H. QLD 
  
• "Our native flying-fox populations are in rapid decline & the LNP want to start shooting them again. 2 of the 4 species of flying-foxes in Qld. are already Federally listed as vulnerable to EXTINCTION. Don't let these fools start killing our essential forest pollinators. The cruelty of shooting a small dark moving object at night is clear & has already been proven to be unacceptably cruel. Mothers & babies die slow agonising deaths. No More Killing LNP. There are alternatives. We need our bats. " D.W. QLD
  
• "Our wildlife is precious - we should be proud of our country and its animals. This is a dark ages policy." C.W. QLD
• "Please respect the wildlife, they were here first. All wildlife are losing their natural habitate, thanks to humans!!!! " S.A. QLD
  
• "Australia already has an apalling record for wildlife abuse. We have wiped out many animals since white man first set foot in this country. Do we want to be known around the world as the country with the worlds worst history of wildlife decimation? It is time to start treating our precious wildlife with the dignity and care they deserve. "Until man has compassion for all living creatures, then only is his noble. Albert Schweitzer." A.M.D. QLD 
  
• "Stop sending Australia backwards with this blatant disregard for the important ecological role these bats play" N.K. QLD 
  
• "NO BATS NO TREES " R.K. QLD
  
• "Farmers need government and community assistance to protect their crops in humane ways. Subsidies for netting would be perfect." C.M. QLD 
  
• "These animals are not only integral to our rainforests, but feel pain just like we do. Can we please stop defaulting to our barbaric nature and use our brains?! " A.F. QLD
  
• "Bats are very important for helping to pollinate the bush and all flowering trees. Stop the developers destroying their natural homes and they won't annoy people. HAS ANYONE NOTICED THE LACK OF BEES & INSECTS. WE NEED THE BATS. They will probably be extinct very quickly if we keep killing them. POLITICIANS WAKE UP THIS IS NOT THE ANSWER. IF YOU SINK TO THIS LOW I WILL NOT BE VOTING FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!! G.V. QLD 
  
• "Too many wildlife are killed every year and they are supposed to be PROTECTED. Enough is enough, do NOT allow the slaughter of native wildlife. S.A. QLD
  
• "No flying-foxes, no trees. Get properly informed, please" L.C. QLD
• "There are more effective and HUMANE methods of excluding flying foxes from crops and orchards. Do not allow shooting of flying foxes" K.S. QLD
  
• "Any form of cruelty to any living being should be abhorred." N.B. QLD 
  
• "These animals do more good than harm. Loose them and we will loose,trees, nectar feeding birds Koalas,Possums have Nowhere to store carbon. Therefore, if you want to have the bats shot write a letter to your future generations so they know who to blame for the lose of trees and wildlife. " J.D. QLD
  
• "Don't kill our wildlife!" K.R. QLD 
  
• "Netting of crops and fruit trees to protect them from hail and wildlife is the most humane and preferred option." S.S. QLD
  
• "Shooting bats will not help with any problems you are facing, the reasons why we are now facing more issues with diseases and crops, is because we have encroached on their native resting/feeding areas." J.S. QLD 
• "If we didn't destroy their natural food source they wouldn't start to encroach into agriculture." K.T. QLD
  
• "As I listen to Rainforest Magic by Tony O'Connor I wonder is this will be the only way to enjoy our forests in the future. Nature is not our enemy. We are part of nature and should live as such." K.A.G. QLD 
  

Hundreds more like this...

The rest of the world agrees

• "As a wildlife carer and a rescuer and rehabilitator of Flying Foxes I have seen first hand the results of both shooting and electrocution to Flying Foxes. In light of the recent actions by the Federal Gov to cruelty to animals overseas, why is it that in our own country would allow this sort of cruelty when there are no-lethal methods avalible. Please don't support these changes." S.C. NSW 
  
• "Flying Foxes are vital to Australia's ecological survival. Only the ignorant would contemplate killing this vital native species." E.G. VIC 
  
• "Please help these adorable animals before they become extinct like so many others that we didn't protect :( " D.H. Oregan, USA
  
• Protecting the heritage of future generations of Australians would seem a priority to me.... these species are the living heritage of generations yet unborn, we do not have the right to wantonly eliminate them and threaten the future existence of our rainforests. R.U. NSW
• "Please, please stop systematically destroying your incomparable wildlife because the poor creatures are trying to eke out a living in a landscape that is being greedily and massively developed by and for humans. We will not be coming on holiday to Australia this year in protest at your allowing these dreadful practices and will be communicating this message to our very large entourage of friends and family." S.H. Kent, UK 
• "10 years from now our kids will shake there head at the ignorance of this time. " D.M. NSW
  
• "These animals are so valuable for the long term survival of our ecology we need to protect them" K.F. NSW 
  
• "Please don't shoot bats! they are precious and important!" L.S. California, USA
  
• "What a stupid proposal by the Liberal National Party & Bob Katter's Australian Party. I hope we will not see a return to outdated, ineffective, & cruel methods of crop protection." M.D. NSW 
  
• "Ignorance is no reason to kill. Humans are the biggest murders of species. Stop before it's too late." N.G. VIC 
• "Bats are incredibly important to our ecology, the ecology that feeds us. this isn't a bleeding heart issue, it's an issue of survival, and not just for bats. over 80% of the fruit we eat is polinated by bats. We need to support our ecology, sustainably, and decimating bat poplulations makes human sustainability much more difficult." S.B. Ohio, USA
  
• "The government should be protecting our unique vunerable wildlife, not cruelly slaughtering them for yet another quick buck, which will ultimately destroy the environment that we all depend on." D.A.D. NSW 
• "Where will you stop? I can't understand how somebody can even consider shooting native animals, don't you learn from the mistakes we made in Europe? Wake up and learn to live with your wildlife." A.R. NT 
• "Flying foxes are such an important part of your ecosystem and of nature. They pollenate, they plant seeds, and they help keep fruiting trees in your area. Please do not kill these magnificent creatures!"  S.H. Indiana, USA
• "Don't people understand how important bats are? Don't shoot them. Work with our wildlife. Please." M.C. NSW 
• "This inhumane killing needs to stop! Its never one life taken and its rarely something that is a single shot and its all over. Too many animals being injured, killed and often leaving their babies in a colony to die a cruel, slow and painful death. Stand up Australia, no bats no forests!" J.P. NSW 
  
• "Killing is a neanderthal reaction for those who's minds are too small to find a real solution to bend round a perceived problem." C.S. VIC 
  
• "Please save these amazing creatures" S. B. Colorado, USA 
  
• "Please don't punish innocent creatures just to satisfy the greed of the human population. This is an inhumane way of controlling this "problem"." S.F. NSW 
  
• "Flying foxes maintain a healthy well balanced eco system." N.P. ACT 
  
• "If this law is passed, it will leave no doubt the government isn't listening to the people and their concerns for a healthy environment. This is just another example of a government out of touch with the people. If we are to survive into the future we must protect the animals that will bring us back from the brink, once we realise our mistakes." J.M. NSW
  

 

Hundreds more like this...