Recommendations for the recovery of the Grey-headed Flying-fox 'Pteropus poliocephalus' in New South Wales

In the plenary discussions of the forum on Managing the Grey-headed Flying-fox as a Threatened Species in NSW convened by the Royal Zoological Society on 28 July 2001, it was noted that simple cessation of culling in orchards will not save the Grey-headed Flying-fox 'Pteropus poliocephalus' from being vulnerable to extinction. Actual recovery is needed - at the level of strategic land clearing intervention, protection of old growth forests that provide higher quality and quantity nectar and pollen than regrowth timbers do, and de-fragmentation of habitat by incorporation of flying-fox forage species into broad-scale re-forestation programs. Discussion focused on whether management of the Grey-headed Flying-fox as a threatened species in NSW would require development of further legislation; how to ensure that all stakeholders knew what the others' needs were; the need to do a lot more research before we will be able to save the Grey-headed Flying-fox; and who should pay. These deliberations led inexorably to "who is going to do the work?" The overall objective is to conserve and recover the Grey-headed Flying-fox. In our view strategic action in five areas (extension officers, legislation, consultation, lobbying, research) should allow us to achieve that objective. We offer the following recommendations.