Yucatán’s Bat Net Plan Sparks Outcry

Mérida, Mexico — Environmental defenders, including biologist and ecologist Rodrigo Antonio Medellín Legorreta, have publicly denounced the distribution of mist nets by the Yucatán Secretariat of Rural Development (Seder) to cattle rancher groups. The stated objective of the nets is to capture and eliminate bats as a control measure for the screwworm pest.

The signatory organizations—the Program for the Conservation of Bats in Mexico (PCMM), the Mexican Association of Mastozoology A.C. (AMMAC), and the Latin American and Caribbean Network for Bat Conservation (RELCOM)—stated that this practice is illegal. They emphasized that capturing bats requires permits from the Federal Attorney for Environmental Protection (Semarnat) and must only be carried out by specialized personnel.

Furthermore, the groups warned that the measure puts species protected by the Official Mexican Standard NOM-059-SEMARNAT-2010 at risk. These species are fundamental for pollination, seed dispersal, and the natural control of pests.

The experts also underscored that there is no scientific evidence directly linking bites from hematophagous (blood-eating) bats to the transmission of the screwworm. They noted that this infestation occurs primarily through wounds from castrations, births, dehorning, accidental cuts, or insect bites.

Conversely, they warned that handling bats without proper training increases the risk of rabies transmission, which represents a public health problem.

The statement released by the environmental coalitions concludes with a demand for the immediate suspension of these practices. They call for their replacement with scientific and sustainable measures, such as cattle vaccination campaigns, proper wound care, and the focused control of hematophagous bats under professional supervision.

These alternatives, they stress, would allow the problem to be addressed without compromising the ecological balance or human health.

On his social media, Rodrigo Medellín also condemned the measure with a forceful message: “Stop the unjustified killing of bats! Stop the violation of environmental laws! Consult the experts you have in the state.”

With this, he added his voice to that of multiple academics and activists who are calling for a halt to what they consider an ineffective and dangerous action for the Yucatán ecosystem.