Kangamail, kangaroo newsletter archives 29Recently we recieved a tipoff that the Australian Defence Force wanted to kill kangaroos at two military areas near Canberra. We wrote to the Defence Secretary Nick Warner below; Nick Warner 3/5/07 Dear Sir We have information that the Australian Defence Force intend to gain three licences to kill kangaroos at two sites in Canberra: 1. Belconnen Naval Transmission Station. This area is completely land locked by Suburbia. 2. Majura Training Area. Apparently this area has a lot of unexploded shells. Apparently Defence staff claim starvation and damage to endangered lowland native temperate grasslands for both areas. It appears that the Australian Defence Force have forgotten about Pukapunyal and Googong Dam. At Pukapunyal an attempt was made to kill thousands of kangaroos with the same excuse, the animals were staving. After protests and some really bad public relations media for the ADF, the real reason they wanted to kill the kangaroos was found...local graziers wanted the grass for their cattle that were agisted on Pukapunyal. It was a public relations disaster for the ADF. At Googong Dam another attempt was made to kill kangaroos to the benefit of local graziers, and that was an even bigger public relations disaster, with media stories going all over the world. The thing that caught the attention of overseas media was that in Canberra, the Capitol of Australia, the Government were killing Australia's loved icon animal, the kangaroo.
Surely the ADF havent forgotten those incidents? If they have we are certainly going to remind them. We urge you to instruct ADF staff to implement non-lethal solutions to alleged kangaroo problems, there are plenty of other solutions, killing wildlife should be the very last option, not the first. Sincerely, Pat OBrien We received the following reply. Good Morning Pat, I refer to your email to Mr Nick Warner, Secretary Department of Defence. Kangaroos have become a serious environmental problem on Defence sites in the ACT, requiring measures to reduce over-population. In March this year, consultant ecologists engaged by Defence in 2006 to provide expert advice in kangaroo management advised Defence that kangaroo populations on its ACT sites are at immediate risk of exceeding the available food supply and in danger of creating wider ecological damage. The consultants identified Belconnen Naval Transmission Station and Majura Training Area as two Defence sites that have an over-population of Eastern Grey Kangaroos. At Belconnen, the captive population of kangaroos has grown to excessive numbers within the security fence at the station. Consultants have advised that the prolonged drought and overabundant kangaroos are harming both the kangaroos themselves and endangered temperate grassland communities at the sites. The impacts include a lack of feed for the kangaroos, lack of grass cover leading to exposure of soil to erosion, and an increase in weed infestations. The reduction in native grass cover and height is leading to a loss of habitat for threatened species such as the Grassland Earless Dragon, Striped Legless Lizard and Golden Sun Moth. Defence recognises its responsibility to humanely manage overabundant kangaroo populations to maintain the welfare of kangaroos and important ecological values. Defence has been working with ACT Government Parks, Conservation and Lands and the University of Newcastle to develop a fertility control project for the Belconnen Naval Transmission Station site. Defence has commenced consultation with some environment and animal welfare groups and will continue talking to key stakeholders in the coming weeks. Defence has considered a number of options to manage the overabundant kangaroo populations and reduce them to sustainable levels. Kangaroo management at Belconnen is being incorporated into a broader natural temperate grassland management strategy for the Belconnen Naval Transmission Station site. Similarly kangaroo management at Majura will be incorporated into the broader environmental management system. A core component of kangaroo management plans for Defence sites is to ensure that the kangaroo populations are maintained at sustainable levels. A fertility control program will be put in place to ensure that future numbers at the Belconnen Naval Transmission Station are sustainable. If necessary, the kangaroo populations may be reduced through the use of licensed professionals in accordance with the ACT Code of Practice. Defence Environmental Policy includes a commitment to be a leader in sustainable environmental management in support of the Australian Defence Force. This includes the protection of endangered ecological communities and the management of overabundant species. Regards, Martin Bowles, Deputy Secretary, Defence Support, Department of Defence, CP1-5-003, Canberra ACT 2600 We have written back asking for documents, and for an inspection of the kangaroos. Other readers of Kangamail have had similar replies, and have written back to the ADF as well. *************************** Kanga cull begins
KANGAROOS at Lara's Serendip Sanctuary will be culled during the next three months as the drought takes its toll on the starving population. Yesterday Parks Victoria said it was also investigating fertility control measures to stop Australia's national emblem from reproducing. The Geelong Advertiser revealed in April the eastern grey kangaroo population at Serendip Sanctuary was struggling to survive in drought conditions as they competed for scarce food resources. Parks Victoria would yesterday not reveal the number of kangaroos that would be culled. But ranger-in-charge David Roberts said Parks Victoria had been working with government and independent animal agencies to find a solution to deal with the overabundant, starving population. ``The RSPCA and the other agencies agree that to protect the on-going health and welfare of the overall kangaroo population, a population control program is needed to alleviate the pressure on food resources and the stress that may result,'' he said. ``Professional licensed contractors have been employed and at every stage the animals will be humanely treated in line with strict protocols governing population control programs of this sort.'' A Parks Victoria spokeswoman also said a University PHD student was investigating fertility control as a way to limit kangaroo numbers at the sanctuary. Contraceptive methods for kangaroos have been investigated in recent years as a more humane way of controlling kangaroo numbers. Birth control can include hormones which can be injected or placed under the skin of the kangaroo or contraceptive pellets which can be placed in their food source. University of Newcastle's Professor John Rodger, who is heading a three-year fertility control program, has previously said contraception for kangaroos could provide a non-lethal way of dealing with overabundant numbers. ``We have demonstrated that it's possible to have a fertility-control vaccine just as you or I have been vaccinated against polio and other diseases,'' he said. ``So rather than poisoning or trapping or shooting (kangaroos), couldn't we do what we have done to ourselves? And can we apply the appropriate technology to do that?'' *Geelong Advertiser *********************** Kangaroos are Under Attack, get Active! After being contacted by a whistleblower within the kangaroo industry, Animal protection groups from around Australia rallied together to expose the cruelty, contamination & dwindling numbers of certain kangaroo species who are slaughtered for a niche export market where profits are earnt by aselect few. The groups, including Animal Liberation, Wildlife Protection Association of Australia, Animals Australia, Australian Wildlife Protection Council Inc & others have been investigating the industry for the last 2 years and have found damning evidence which will more than likely halt this brutal trade. Note the whistleblower will remain nameless for safety reasons. Over 24 chillers around NSW and Southern QLD were inspected and swabs of Kangaroo carcasses taken. In summary, the findings suggest: 1. Between 70-80% of all kangaroos shot are currently female. This means that there is a population imbalance between males and females. Obviously there are more females than males now as most of the big males have already been shot which leaves the bigger females to be shot. 2. Another worrying fact remains that for all the carcasses sighted in the chillers, alot of them were only just above the minimum 'human consumption' weight (NSW) of 13kg, some actually weighed less. Females at this weight would be unlikely to even have had their first joey. The kangaroos allowed to be killed in NSW and QLD are Eastern Reds and Eastern and Western Greys. Obviously there were male carcasses in the chillers, however none of them were even close to what would be considered a 'big red' which would have a carcass weight of around 25kg or higher. Up to 65 kg alive! 3. The swab results revealed contamination of carcasses with: E.coli, Streptococcus & Staphylococcus. The results showed muscle tissue having an active growth of these microbes from low to heavy growth. 4. The Australian Government approved method of killing a joey at foot is to either bash it over the head with a heavy object, or chop its head off with an axe. This is essentially too brutal to think about, and as mentioned above the majority of the kangaroos being shot are female. If even half of those females have a joey at foot, then up to 1million joeys will be killed this way in 2007 under the currently approved kill quota of 3.8million kangaroos. For more information on the plight of Kangaroos, please go to: http://www.kangaroo-protection-coalition.com/kangaroo-facts.html At the end of the investigation in March this year, knowing we needed to move with this information quickly, Animal Liberation and the WPAA sent a delegation overseas to Russia (biggest export country) and Europe to inform not only the public about these concerns, but the relevant health ministers in the various countries as well as EU representatives. So far there has been significant media attention in Russia and several restaurants have been visited in Berlin, as well as the Consular General, Foreign Affairs and Trade based in the Australian Embassy, Berlin. A complete report of the European events will be outlined on the Animal Liberation website shortly. The true outcome of any meetings will not be known for some time, at present however, we do know that the leading company which exports Kangaroo meat for human consumption has closed all its chiller doors in NSW, which, as far as a discerning eye can tell, is as big an admission of guilt if ever there were one. The European Union has now placed the Commercial Kangaroo Kill in the same category as the Harp Seal Kill, and Whaling. Below is a sample letter which you could use to contact the following important people and let them know what you think about the killing of kangaroos. If you would like a DVD and further information sent to you, please reply to this email with your name and address and we'll get some info to you. National Parks and Wildlife Service, responsible for NSW quotas info@environment.nsw.gov.au QLD Minister responsible for quotas in that state EandM@ministerial.qld.gov.au Restaurants in Germany serving or distributing Kangaroo meat: Corroboree: info@corroboree.info Australian Spirit: info@party-service-noller.de Australian Food and Wine: trendfoods@gmx.net Australia Shop: australia@australiashop.com Las Malvinas: las_malvinas_9@hotmail.com Kangaroo's Land: info@kangaroos-land.de Never Never Land: never-never-berlin@web.de Company in Germany monitoring food: Foodwatch: info@foodwatch.de Restaurant in France serving Kangaroo meat: L'Epicerie, 30 rue Montorgueil, 75001 Paris, France (no email sorry) France - Health ministry contacts: General email: ministre-santesolidarites@sante.gouv.fr Didier Houssin : didier.houssin@sante.gouv.fr Restaurant in Russia serving Kangaroo meat: Australian Open: aus.open@mtu-net.ru Dear Sir/Madam, Re: Commercial Kangaroo Industry I am writing to you concerning the plight of Kangaroos in Australia. It has been brought to my attention that there are at least 4 serious problems with the current legal killing of kangaroos for commercial purposes in Australia. 1. Killing of joeys after their mothers are shot. The national code of practice allows an acceptable way of killing these baby animals is to chop off their head with an axe, or for them to receive a blow to the head with a heavy blunt instrument. Dependent expooouch joeys flee into teh night when their mother is shot to die of exposure and starvation. As per the Canadian seal 'cull', killing of baby animals is an extremely traumatic experience, it is in no way humane, and can in no way be regulated. We are living in the 21st century and still allowing medieval practices to occur in our outback. I feel it is necessary to condemn the killing of kangaroos solely on this point alone. 2. Contamination of the carcasses has recently been shown to occur quite often due to the way the kangaroos are processed in the field. They are gutted by a shooter who is not trained nor, after a nights shooting, has the ability to cleanly gut the kangaroo. The result is several types of bacterial contamination of the carcass. All this happens in such temperatures which promote bacteria and pathogen growth. Even the chillers have been shown to be unreliable when it comes to maintaining temperatures which kill bacteria. 3. Species decline. NPWS (NSW) issues permits based on aerial surveys of numbers of kangaroos. As we all know, kangaroos are mobile animals which can, as far as an aerial survey cares, be in two places at once. Meaning the animals can be counted twice, hence overestimating the population and therefore any quotas for killing purposes. NPWS each year comes up with new ways of counting kangaroo numbers, this is not reliable, nor is it scientific to continuously change counting methods. When it comes to our native animals, close enough is not good enough. 4. Kangaroo shooters are paid per kg, therefore they (understandably) shoot the biggest animals first. Over time, this reduces the population structure so much so that a smaller, weaker genetic species remains. This reduces the survival ability and strength of the targeted species. This has not been scientifically proven by any researcher, it is common Darwinian sense. I along with many other Australians am calling on you to cease your involvement in the commercial harvesting of kangaroos immediately. This will have virtually no effect on Australia's economy, or that of overseas economies which import kangaroo meat. The Russian National Meat Association spokesperson has already stated that kangaroo meat is not a relevant contributor to their economy. I await your response. Yours Sincerely,
Name, Address *************************** On top of the EU & Russia pressure, please read on.... Kangaroos face imminent danger if a California bill becomes law. Senate Bill 880 would legalize kangaroo skin sales in California, where they have been banned since 1970. Go to the following page to simply sign and send a letter: http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/ca_kanga In last Kangamail we carried the story about the Macedon kangaroos that some people want to be shot. In part the article claimed ``Harvesting kangaroos would also produce both meat and skins that are in demand, create employment and economic activity in country Victoria and reduce the cost to both farmers and motorists of the damage caused by kangaroos.'' RSPCA chief scientist Dr Bidda Jones supported the move, saying a controlled cull by trained commercial shooters ``was more humane than by landholders.'' I contacted Bidda about this statement, and this ws her reply. Dear Pat Thanks for your letter. I was very angry about the article in the Macedon Ranges Leader as it attributed a statement to me that I had not said. I had spoken to the journalist at some length about the complex issues surrounding the commercial kangaroo industry versus recreational shooting in an attempt to increase her understanding of the subject, but she chose instead to imply in the article that I supported a position she had not articulated to me at the time. Anyway, in response I wrote a letter to the editor which was published in the next edition of the paper. I’ve pasted the text of my letter below. I hope it clarifies our position on this issue. In terms of the other examples you cite, yes, there are some circumstances where the RSPCA has supported the killing of kangaroos – but this has to be considered on a case-by-case basis. I cannot comment on the individual cases themselves as I was not involved in the decisions. Our policy is pretty clear on the circumstances that must be met before we support any control of native animals: Control and commercial use of native animals 1.2.1 RSPCA Australia recognises that, due to a range of factors, in many areas there is an imbalance in wild populations of some species of native animals. RSPCA Australia acknowledges that in some circumstances it is necessary to reduce wild populations of some native animals. 1.2.2 RSPCA Australia is opposed to the killing of native animals in the wild where there is the potential for cruelty. Such killing should only be sanctioned where no successful humane non-lethal alternative method of control is available.
1.2.3 Any measures taken to reduce or otherwise control wild populations of native species must be proven to be necessary and potentially successful at reducing the adverse impact of the target animals. They must be conducted humanely, and be under the direct supervision of the appropriate government authorities as part of an approved management program. 1.2.4 Such control programs should be target-specific, not cause suffering to nontarget animals, and should be effectively monitored and audited with resulting data made available for public information. 1.2.5 RSPCA Australia opposes the commercial removal and use of native animals, unless such use is carried out in a humane manner and only as part of a fully regulated and government supervised management program I would really appreciate it if you could pass on the text of my letter to the editor of the Leader to your members so they are aware of our true position. Kind regards, Bidda Wacol The killing of animals should never be the first response to controlling populations said Senator Andrew Bartlett, responding to reports that the Environment Protection Agency (EPA) is planning a cull of the kangaroo population around Wacol on the south-west edge of Brisbane. “Decisions need to be made in consultation with the community and there needs to be clear scientific evidence on which to base a decision,” Senator Bartlett said. “It sounds as if the EPA has fallen down on both these counts. “Having a continuing viable kangaroo population within Brisbane’s boundaries is a special thing, and something we should put extra effort into maintaining. “No-one wants the animals to suffer, but if it turns out that the population needs managing there are other ways to do it. Other options may take effort and resources but the government shouldn’t take the easy way out. “If this is really about protecting the animals from being hit by cars then surely exclusion fencing and underpasses are a more humane option than simply killing them? “The Government should be looking at a long term population management plan including effective and humane sterilization techniques. “I ask the Minister to ensure that the local community is properly consulted and that ethical and scientific criteria are used in deciding the best approach towards Wacol’s kangaroo population,” Senator Bartlett concluded. ED Comment; after strong community resistance, the QPWS has decided not to kill the Wacol kangaroos. **************************** Roo Shooters Disgruntled DISGRUNTLED roo shooters are warning there could be an exodus of commercial operators from the industry unless a cap is placed on licence numbers and more workable rules are introduced. The number of licensed shooters in NSW has exploded from 620 in 1996 to 860 last year. Three years of record roo meat prices have sparked an influx of “weekend shooters” who are now competing with commercial operators for markets and shooting tags under the quota system. So desperate are shooters in some areas for tags – allocated on a first-come, first-served basis until this year – that some near Glen Innes last year camped on the doorstep of the National Parks and Wildlife Service office the night before tags were released to make sure they were first in line. *Land 26/4/07 Ed Comment; Actually the way that NSW NPNS distribute tags is disgraceful, and I understand some shooters have complained to the CCC, and so they should. NPWS have continued to issue kangaroo shooting permits to anyone who applies, and now they have far more shooters than the quotas can allow to be killed. It's typical of the gross mismanagement of the Industry by the NSW NPWS bureaucrats.
************************ PLEASE FORWARD WIDELY IN CALIFORNIA Hi, First of all, I want to thank everyone who took the time to write letters, your voice was counted and it means a lot that you took some time to speak out for the kangaroos. See notes below on the US organizations who also deserve a HUGE thanks. If you support an organization who is not listed below, please contact them and encourage them to help out NOW we need everyone sending out an alert. SB 880, a bill that would remove long standing protections for kangaroos in California, authored by Senator Ron Calderon (D-East LA area), passed out of the Senate Natural Resources Committee. The bill now moves to the Senate floor. This was one of the most unique laws in the country to protect wildlife. At a time when California seems to have a hard time passing many laws to protect more then just dogs & cats -- it seems that progressive, positive laws are being reversed. An extra thank you goes out to all of you who took the time to write a letter and try to stop this from happening. However, more needs to be done to stop this law from being overturned. Senator Steinberg (D-Sacramento) ensured the passage of this bill by the Senate Natural Resources Committee. In previous years, this same Committee has routinely killed the bill and thus ensuring protections for the kangaroos. This was also the first time that the Adidas lobbyist testified in addition to the Australian Consulate. Senator Sheila Kuehl (D-LA) spoke very eloquently about California being a progressive state and voted her strong opposition to this bill. See below for final vote count as well as a link to media coverage of the hearing. An amendment was added (by Senator Steinberg) that will allow the body parts (skins, flesh) of kangaroos sold in California as long as the Australian quota does not increase. As the quota is typically not met, this only will ensure that with the increase in demand of kangaroo parts in California that more animals will in fact be killed. In addition to this, SB 880 as amended is completely unenforceable. There is absolutely no way to ensure that the quotas are not exceeded or to ensure that the skins used in the products sold in the state are not those of protected kangaroos! Time is of the Essence! The bill now heads to the Senate floor and could be heard at any time starting now up until June 8. US READERS PLEASE ACT NOW! Write AND call your State Senator IMMEDIATELY. If possible, please try to schedule a time to meet with them on this issue. PLEASE let me know if you need assistance. Person to person meetings can be a huge help!
To find out who your senator is go here: 1. Go to www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html. 2. Enter your zip code and press "search." 3. Click on your Senator's name to go to his/her website for full contact details.
Tell them: a) The amendment does nothing to address the inherent cruelty of how the kangaroos are killed in the wild. The animals are shot at night and if the kangaroo is a mother and she has a baby in her pouch, the roo is taken from her pouch and decapitated or bludgeoned to death. b) The hunters are not always able to distinguish between those who are 'approved' to be killed and others who are endangered. In Queensland, Australia, the Western Grey Kangaroo is not allowed to be killed, but it can be mistaken for the Eastern Grey who is allowed to be hunted. c) The law currently protects certain "look-alike"species so that Californians do not unwittingly contribute to the extinction of a species and this amendment does not address this issue. d) According to official Australian government statistics, kangaroo populations continue to crash and are now the lowest they have been in over a decade and are well below half of what they were in 2001 (Source: Sustainable Wildlife Industries, Dept of the Environment and Heritage, Canberra, 2006). Reintroduction of the trade into California would be disastrous, as there are already not enough kangaroos to meet the industry's demands ( http://www.meatinfo.co.uk/articles/28552/Demand-for-Kangaroo-meat-threatens-supply.aspx?categoryid=9997 ).
Video & other details can be seen here: http://getactive.peta.org/campaign/ca_kanga.
Thanks to the 45 individuals who took the 5 minutes necessary to ensure they used their voice to speak out for the kangaroos! Thanks also to the following organizations who attended the hearing: Animal Protection Institute (API) Animal Switchboard Association of Veterinarians for Animal Rights (AVAR) California Animal Association (CAA) United Animal Nations (UAN)
The following US organizations who sent letters in: ASPCA ALDF Animal Place API Animal Switchboard AVAR CAA California Federation fro Animal Legislation Farm Sanctuary Last Chance for Animals League of Humane Voters - California HSUS UAN Viva!
The following organizations for sending out alerts: Animal Place API In Defense of Animals Last Chance for Animals PETA Please contact any organization that you support and ask them to send out an alert to their California members to write their Senators. The only way we can stop this bill is if we ALL work together. Here is a link to the media coverage: http://cbs13.com/local/local_story_128191955.html Votes: AYES: Steinberg, Margett, Cogdill, Hollingsworth & Kehoe; Noes: Kuehl & Migden; Absent, Abstaining or Not Voting: Machado. Keep an eye out for events taking place in your area soon. Feel free to contact me if you have additional questions or would like more information. For the animals, lauren Ornelas (former director of Viva!USA www.vivausa.org) Founder/Director Food Empowerment Project www.foodispower.org *************************** Ed Comment; We are very grateful to all the US groups who worked so hard, and supported us on this matter. *WPAA *************************** THE ear had been hacked from a male kangaroo found dead in Yellow Gum Park, Victoria. And a female kangaroo appeared to have been mauled by a dog in a sickening attack, a wildlife rescuer said. Narelle Smith said she was horrified by the apparent cruelty inflicted on the kangaroos found about 100m down a track inside the Plenty park last week. A female joey was still alive about 20m from its mother, Ms Smith said.``It had managed to get away, but it had a broken pelvis,'' she said. The animal was later destroyed. Ms Smith said distinct tyre marks next to the carcasses indicated the kangaroos had been deliberately hit.``The people who did this are pretty sick individuals and it is really time our community started dealing with such people more harshly,'' Ms Smith said. ``The female was viciously mauled. ``I just hope the kangaroo was already dead when it happened.'' The track was an access road for park employees, but it appeared a private access gate had been forced, Ms Smith said. The wildlife rescuer alerted Parks Victoria, who reported the incident to the police. Chief ranger Andy Miller said Parks Victoria would work with police to address the issue. ``It was very unfortunate that this illegal incident has occurred at the park,'' Mr Miller said. Diamond Creek police is investigating the incident. Ms Smith believed the kangaroos were dead for at least 24 hours before being spotted on May 1. She appreciated the alertness of the local man who contacted her. ``Most people who looked would have assumed the kangaroos were all dead, but luckily this man noticed that the joey had its head up,'' she said. Ms Smith said residents who saw animals in distress should phone Wildlife Victoria on 0417 506 941. *Diamond Valley News ***************************
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