Be it resolved on this 7th day of July, 2008 that members of the North American
Symposium on Bat Research have expressed concern about fatalities of bats at
utility-scale wind energy facilities in North America. Because bats have exceptionally
low reproductive rates making them susceptible to population declines and local
extinctions, bat fatalities at wind facilities could pose biologically significant
cumulative impacts for some species of bats unless solutions are found.
Worldwide, development of wind energy is projected to increase substantially in the next decade, and installed wind energy capacity increased 27% in 2006 and 45% in 2007 in the U.S. alone. While we recognize issues concerning climate change, the long-term environmental impacts from past and continued use of fossil fuels, and the need to develop clean sources of renewable energy, the fact that large numbers of bats are being killed by wind turbines cannot be ignored. There are likely to be biologically significant cumulative impacts for some species, especially migratory tree roosting bats, unless solutions are found.
It is our collective opinion that the state of our knowledge of factors associated with bat fatalities at wind facilities is unsatisfactory and that there is a dearth of reliable information upon which to base policy and management decisions. We assert that more consistent, longer-term pre- and post-construction studies are needed to further elucidate patterns of bat fatality and to test ideas about possible solutions and efficacy of mitigation measures. We support the use of standardized protocols to improve consistency of data collection and comparability among studies. We also are concerned that the seriousness of the effect on bats has not been adequately articulated to managers, decision makers, and the public.
Based on the current state of the situation, we support:
• Multi-year monitoring and hypothesis-based research in regions and at sites with the highest potential for adverse environmental impacts on bats;
• Establishing standards for conducting site-specific, scientifically sound and consistent pre- and post-construction evaluations, using comparable methods as much as is feasible;
• Development and implementation of consistent guidelines for siting, monitoring and mitigation strategies among states, provinces, and agencies that would assist developers with compliance with relevant laws and regulations;
• Conducting experiments at wind facilities in different regions to test mitigation treatments, evaluate their effect on reducing bat fatalities, and determine the economic costs of undertaking them;
• Development of methods to assess the relationship between bat abundance and fatality risks at local and regional scales;
• Avoiding wind energy development at sites proposed by developers that are identified as high-risk by bat experts using the best science available; criteria and standards for high-risk sites will need to be established for different groups of bats and any habitats deemed to be critically important to the conservation of bats on a state, provincial, or regional basis.
• Educating the public and decision-makers regarding the full range of trade-offs and benefits regarding all forms of energy, including wind energy; impacts on bats and other wildlife must be integrated into decision-making consultations;
• Coordinating efforts to ensure transparency and data sharing among stakeholders.
Be it resolved on this 30th day of October 2004 that researchers gathered at the 34th Annual North American Symposium on Bat Research are concerned about public misperceptions regarding undetected bites from bats, and the negative consequences for bats that are generated by those misperceptions.
Cases of rabies in humans in the United States and Canada are extremely rare. Data from the U.S. indicate that most human rabies infections occur because victims are bitten and either do not realize the risk of being bitten or trivialize the wound. No animal bite should be trivialized.
In our collective experience, bat bites cause sufficient pain to be readily detected, and if bitten by a bat, people will be aware of the bite. However, under certain circumstances (e. g., deep sleep, intoxication, illness or mental incapacity, or being a child too young to recognize or relate the history of exposure), the minor trauma and wound may not be recognized as a bat bite and could also go untreated.
We are concerned that people receiving bat bites sometimes do not seek medical attention. We are also concerned that the media and local public health agencies frequently overreact to incidental bat exposure, causing unnecessary eradication of bats or treatment of people not bitten by bats. This results in actions and public perceptions that are costly to people, detrimental to bats, and provide no additional protection against rabies.
We support:
We recognize the need for reasonable precautions against rabies. We support public education about bats and rabies that:
Be it resolved on this 30th day of October 1999, that researchers gathered at the 29th North American Symposium on Bat Research find no credible support for the hypothesis that undetected bites by bats are a significant factor in transmitting rabies to humans, as implied by the January 16, 1998 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
In our collective experience, bats seldom are aggressive, even when sick, and humans typically feel and recognize any bites they receive. The undetected bite hypothesis appears to be derived from the inability of medical professionals to interview patients due to late moribund or postmortem diagnoses. In the rare cases in which humans contract rabies from bats or other animals, the available evidence strongly suggests that bites were involved and could have been remembered had the patients been coherent. We are deeply concerned about the impacts and resulting negative consequences for bats stemming from the undetected bite hypothesis, which has apparently moved from theory to fact without adequate testing. The consequences are both economic and social. The economic costs are clear, and the social impact is seen, both in the way that people react to bats and in the way that conservation efforts are impeded. The undetected bite hypothesis is not supported by evidence, and it should not drive public policy nor public health responses.
We recognize the need for reasonable precautions against rabies, including vaccination of all who handle bats professionally, and public education that: 1) cautions never to handle bats or other animals; 2) warns to seek immediate medical evaluation of any actual or suspected animal bite; and 3) places risks in perspective with values.