Urge Governments to take action on bat netting deaths

Problems with netting | Current Situation | Take Action

Grey-headed flying fox caught in
monofilament netting.
Photo: Mike Jupp

Wildlife Queensland is asking members and wildlife enthusiasts to support a campaign to protect flying foxes and other wildlife from harm caused by monofilament nylon garden netting and inadequate fruit tree netting in backyards.

The two-prong campaign aims for:

an outright ban on the sale of monofilament nylon netting throughout Queensland and Australia
adequate labelling of appropriate tree netting to educate users in how to put up wildlife friendly nets.

Problems with netting

Every year hundreds of flying foxes and other wildlife are badly injured when they become entangled in protective netting draped over backyard fruit trees.

Most of these animals die slow and painful deaths; survivors are too badly injured to be saved. Two of the most common victims of this netting are the grey-headed flying fox and the spectacled flying fox, both listed as vulnerable under the Federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999.

Monofilament netting: There is no way of using monofilament netting safely - even on a frame.
- Monofilament netting should be banned.
Standard netting: if loosely draped over a tree, will still entangle flying foxes and other wildlife. Netting should be fixed tightly to a frame.
- Netting education is vital.

Current situation

The NSW, Victorian and Queensland Governments have all issued guidelines on correct netting procedures. These guidelines explain how to stretch netting tightly over a frame, rather than draped over the tree and that thin nylon (monofilament) netting must never be used.

Despite this, monofilament netting is sold and directly marketed for the purpose of protecting fruit trees. In addition, although Bunnings Group Ltd recently agreed to distribute information on the dangers of fruit tree netting at point of sale, these warnings are not included in the labelling of netting or the labelling of fruit trees. No agreement has been reached with the many other retailers selling netting.

Take action

Please be clear in your letters that these recommendation do not apply to commercial fruit growers who adopt proper netting practice, but to private individuals trying to protect their backyard fruit trees using incorrect netting procedures.

Write to:

The Hon Desley Boyle, Minister for Environment,
Level 18 Mineral House, 41 George Street BRISBANE Q 4000

PO Box 15031, CITY EAST, QLD, 4002

Tel: (07) 3227 8819
Fax: (07) 3221 9964

Urge the Minister to commit to the following proposals:

All monofilament (thin nylon) netting must be completely removed from the market place. There are many other commercial alternatives.
All backyard fruit tree netting and fruit trees sold in retail outlets must be labelled to warn consumers of the consequences of incorrect netting and provide information on how to net correctly.

Suggest to the Minister:

Develop a policy on netting to enable model laws to be drafted.
Translations of correct netting methods be provided in several languages.
Stress that this information should specifically be included in the labelling of fruit trees and netting.

Write to: Senator, The Hon Ian Campbell, Minister for Environment & Heritage, Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600 Fax: 02 6273 6101

Urge the Minister to raise this issue with his State and Territory counterparts and encourage them to seriously consider the above proposals.

More information on:

For more information on Wildlife Queensland's activities, contact us by email or call +61 7 3221 0194.

February 2006

Wildlfie Preservation Society of Queensland