Flying-foxes have long been a focus of government, community and industry concern. While this concern has historically focused on flying-fox impacts on agriculture and amenity it has recently included public health and livestock health risks, particularly related to the transmission of Lyssa and Hendra virus.
NSW has the largest number of known, active, grey-headed flying-fox camps in Australia and Grey-headed Flying-foxes are a persistent focus of public debate with regular calls to justify or revisit their conservation listing and demands for stronger actions to manage impacts and risks associated with their activity and presence.
In 2012, the Australian, New South Wales, Queensland, Victorian and South Australian Governments committed to participate in a national census to monitor population trends in flying-foxes found predominantly along the eastern seaboard of Australia. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) secured $1.5 million in grants from the Australian Government towards carrying out a NFFMP over a period of five years. These funds cover satellite tracking of flying-foxes and associated data analysis, but do not cover on-ground counts.
The Office of Environment and Heritage (OEH) has undertaken to co-ordinate quarterly counts of active flying fox camps in NSW. . OEH will be collaborating with National Parks and Wildlife Service staff, Office of Environment and Heritage field based staff, CSIRO, local councils, volunteers and flying fox interest groups to undertake manual counts of flying foxes in NSW, between 14 and 16 February 2013, for inclusion in the Commonwealth Flying Fox data base.
For more information on the National Flying Fox Monitoring Program visit