The Independent, a major UK daily newspaper, features a news article on the Pteropus niger culls on Mauritius with quotes from IBRG coordinator Christian.
The article also reports on an interview with FDI Spotlight by Minister of Agro-Industry Mahen Kumar Seeruttun, in which he replies to criticism by saying that "the population of large 'flying fox' bats has increased dramatically due to the lack of severe cyclones in the past 15 years. These are a protected species, so we must devise creative ways to protect the crops such as providing fruit-growers with nets to protect their crop, and a selective cull which I organised when I came to my position."
We are, once more, alarmed to hear that the Minister ignores scientific evidence as regards the flying fox population size. Moreover, we are somewhat puzzled at such definition of "protected species" and by the level of ingenuity of Mr Seeruttun, who obviously consider shooting down flying foxes with rifles as a creative enterprise...
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