Your Say...

People speak out

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

• "You want my vote, then change your cruel policies please." K.B. QLD 
  
• "Anyone who cares about wildlife would be aghast by the LNP's plan to allow flying-foxes to be killed again in Qld orchards. Killing threatened species is a travesty. There is no excuse for animal cruelty." C.B. QLD
  
• "Anyone who cares about Wildlife and the protection of Ecosystems needs to carefully evaluate who to vote for. The Conservative Parties need to drag themselves into the 21st century if they want to be taken seriously by voters who understand the importance of healthy ecosystems." S.E. QLD
  
• "Killing bats also kills many other native species such as koala, who rely upon them for the health of the forests. Orphaned baby flying foxes can take about 5 days to die slowly alone, waiting for their mothers to return. LNP candidates and Bob Katter should be forced to listen to their cries as they die. I have. Shame on you LNP - Shame on you Andrew Powell - you of all people should know better! " S.R. QLD
  
• "As a wildlife carer I have rescued many native animals injured by these means of extermination.  To allow this type of killing is showing that the LNP have no feelings for animals or humans.  Slow painful death -barbaric and disgusting.  1st time ever it seems I'll have to vote Labor..." 
• "Please don't introduce this practice. You will lose my vote and many more. I would rather have a crap government than to see this happen". N.L. QLD
• "Please don't return shooting, we save hundreds of bats each year from human traps like netting and barbed wire, while you plan for 10's of thousands to die cruel and sadistic deaths by shotguns - NO DONT SHOOT BATS!" L.S. QLD
  
• "There is no Valid reason why a lethal approach is needed. Simple netting and other options should be enforced not seen as optional." A.C. QLD
  
• "I strongly object to the killing of flying-fox and the cruely involved in shooting and electrocution, these methods have been proven in a court of law to be inhumane and I am disgusted that the LNP would contemplate turning back the clock to allow this to happen. The LNP should focus on conservation of threatened species which includes the flying-fox and promote a healthy ecosystem. There are choices for farmers to net their crops and the government should support them to do so." J.D.L. QLD
  
• "These animals play a vital role in our ecology, not to mention two species are already threatened. If we allow shooting, we will loose in the long run, by upsetting nature. Bats are the sole pollinators of a lot of native trees. No bats, no trees." S.K.. QLD 
  
• "Every animal has a place in the delicate Eco system  " C.H. QLD 
  
• " Shooting bats, when they are so important to pollination and biodiversity, is ridiculous. It is also cruel and should NOT BE ALLOWED." K.G. QLD
  
• "As an ecology student, this is a bad idea due to the environmental repercussions that would result from reducing the population of a unique pollinator. As a wildlife rescuer and rehabilitator, these guys have it hard enough with powerlines, dogs, cats, people, ticks. Don't add intentional killing to their list of adversities these beautiful animals face. They are...  important to our environment. Just leave them alone." E.W. QLD
  
• "Flying foxes are a vital part of Australia's ecosystems, and the loss of their pollination and seed dispersal services would further threaten our native forests and woodlands especially when climate change makes rapid migration and adaptation ever more important for plant species.For this reason, and for the sake of the flying foxes themselves and our responsibility to act humanely and responsibly, I urge you to prevent cruel and lethal methods of control. " J.W. QLD
  
• "NO SHOOTING!! Find another way!!... By shooting you are showing the public that if you have a problem - the quickest way to fix is by shooting it!! Not the right image at all!! I vote Liberal but only if you support another way - never thought the Liberal party would be so inhumane!!" T.P. QLD
  
• "The shooting and electrocution of flying-foxes (to prevent crop damage) was outlawed in Queensland as it was proven to be inhumane, and largely ineffective. Tens of thousands of animals were killed using methods that often left them to die excruciatingly painful deaths. MURDER IS NEVER OK!" B.H. QLD 
  
• "Please don't kill the bats which are an integral part to the sustainability of native flora. Without their input our ecosystems will fail and there will be ongoing consequences for inumerable species..." A.P. QLD 
  
• "Bats lived here before us. We've taken their homes and food, what else is a bat to do? Bats ...should NOT be shot at ever! " R.N. QLD
  

Hundreds more like this...

The rest of the world agrees

• "This is unacceptable, unnecessary and cruel" M.H.  North Lincolnshire UK 
  
• "I can't put into words how disgusted I am that this is happening." E.O. NSW
  
• "This isn't the middle ages, let's try humane solutions for the problems!" C.B. Kansas USA 
  
•  "Bats are a necessary and vital link in our ecosystem and should be fully protected - like all native wildlife." J.N. NT 
• "Please do not allow the senseless killing of Australia's greatest forest pollinators. Our environment can't remain healthy without them." M.P. ACT 
  
• "Flying foxes are important to the whole environment of Australia and, as killing them has proved ineffective in crop protection, there is no excuse to resume lethal control. A better use of government funding would be to support netting and improve understanding" B.P. UK
  
• "Bats are good, they help the environment. Leave them alone!!!" K.L. SA
  
• "Please don't shoot the Bats - it were an amazing experience to watch them flying over our heads every night at dusk and listen to the flapping wings when we were going to sleep." D.G. Denmark
  
• "Killing bats is NOT OKAY!!! Messing with mother nature in any way usually fails and causes untold other problems...AND to kill in such an inhumane way for NO good reason is beyond a thinking man's ways...Whoever allows this simply has not been educated on bats at all. HAVE PRIDE in your country, the rest of the world is now watching you!!! Thank you for considering this." D.C. California USA 
  

• "Shooting native animals is an international embarrassment. Queenslanders are clever, innovative, resilient people - surely a better solution can be found"? J.D. NSW 
• "Please don't shoot bats they are vital to our survival!" R.B. MI, USA
• "This is just another sick way of harming animals !!! Every animal is on this earth for a reason !! We must respect that ." V.C. Luxenbourg"
•  I call on the Liberal National Party and Katter’s Australian Party to change their positions on the flying foxes of Australia. The fruit bats or flying foxes are necessary to the ecological balance of the planet and the survival of many trees and plants. We get over 450 commercially obtained products and over 80 different kinds of medicines that are dependent on the pollination that flying foxes or fruit bats provide. Rainforest stabilization is also achieved by the presence of the bats." S.A. Virginia, USA
• "Please do not bring back such barbaric and inhumane methods of Crop Protection. Provide funding for Full exclusion Netting to Orchardists and they will increase their profits much better and take action to provide safe habitat for these vital Native Animals."  - C.K. NSW "
  
• "The proposed culling of bats via shooting is unethical and unnecessarily cruel, as evidenced by the AWAC in 2008. Exclusion netting has been shown to be completely effective against flying foxes...  The fact that this is even up for debate is unbelievable." R.K. VIC
  
• "Protect crops by netting and save our natural polinators of forests so that there is a future for our grandchildren." S.S. NSW
  
• "Just another way to destroy our environment, for no other reason but that you can and get away with it. It is a black mark on your country and shows great ignorance. Please reconsider this decision. " M.F. Oregon, USA
  
• "Please I implore you not to shoot these animals... the abject cruelty and suffering perpetrated against these animals with inhumane and ineffective cull methods is just barbaric. They reproduce only once yearly, the effect that regular culls could have could be staggering to future generations of these animals." K.W. NSW 
  
• "It's utterly appalling that it requires a petition to stop the senseless killing of innocent, defenseless animals." J.C. Kentucky, USA
  
• "Save the bats ! We need them" F.B. Lorraine. France
  
• "I save and rescue lost and injured wildlife when reported or found here in the Palm Springs/ Hemet area.  I say.. These Animals were here before you found them. Protect our wildlife" B.H.M. California, USA
  
• Shooting is a cruel and disgusting method of killing any animals but particularly the flying fox. it needs to be stopped and never allowed to happen again." K.H. NSW 
• I am disgusted to see how heartless and ignorant the leaders of this country really are.There are easy ways to net your crops safely and plenty of help to do so. This is a pathetic move and it needs to be stopped now. I wish people could see how wonderful flying foxes are." C.J. VIC

Hundreds more like this...