Flying-foxes are considered by the fruit industry to be the main vertebrate pest in coastal areas of New South Wales and South East Queensland. From 1995 to 2000, the annual average gross market losses to the market value of fruit due to flying-foxes, in New South Wales, was estimated at $10.4 million per year. Exclusion netting has proven to be the most effective method of protecting fruit crops from flying-foxes. However, concerns regarding the economic viability of netting have prevented its use in areas where market returns are relatively low, such as the Camden district of NSW. To test the viability of exclusion netting in the Camden district, an economic model, developed for the North Coast was applied under local conditions. The model showed that to obtain a greater than 5% return on the capital invested in netting, crop losses needed to average 15%-30% annually over a ten year period at current gross market returns of $6.00 - $8.00 per tray. For returns greater than 10%, losses needed to be in the 20% - 30% range. The average annual crop loss from flying-foxes in the Camden district is estimated at 10% - 12%. Cheaper crop protection methods are needed for coastal fruit producers that cannot economically justify the high cost of exclusion netting. The methods need to be scientifically assessed and implemented as part of a sustainable strategy.