The Queensland government has cancelled its plan to stop the shooting of flying foxes from July 2026. Farmers can keep shooting flying foxes under permits to protect their fruit crops. The annual quota allows up to 1,630 flying foxes to be shot, including vulnerable grey-headed flying foxes. Originally, the government planned a three-year phase-out starting in 2023 to encourage farmers to switch to non-lethal methods like exclusion netting. But in December, the ban was quietly reversed without speaking to conservation groups. Lawrence Pope from Friends of Bats & Bushcare called the shooting “barbaric,” saying many bats die slowly and that females carrying pups are “cruelly smashed by pellets.” He warned that endangered spectacled flying foxes risk harm because it is hard to tell bat species apart at night. The Department of Environment said shooting permits remain to help farmers where other options have failed. Farmers with permits since 2012 can still shoot bats if they tried at least two non-lethal methods. Data shows more than 20,000 flying foxes have been shot in 10 years. The Australasian Bat Society criticized the killing as ineffective and cruel. They explained the bats’ breeding season overlaps with fruit ripening, causing harm to mothers and their young. Jenny Mclean of Tolga Bat Hospital said farmers had three years to adopt exclusion netting, which many already have. She said, “If they can’t afford netting, they shouldn’t be growing fruit crops.” Rebecca Appleton from Bat Conservation and Rescue Queensland supported netting, urging the government to fund it instead of allowing shooting. She said, “Better for farmers and bats – everyone wins.” Industry groups were asked for comments.