Kangaroo Newsletter Archives 25, 23/4/07==================================== Kangamail 23/4/07 ====================================
ACTIVISTS from two Australian animal rights organisations will start a campaign of street demonstrations, political lobbying and media appearances in Europe next week to promote their claims that kangaroo meat production is unhygienic. Using videos and photos of kangaroo carcasses and results of swabs they say were collected from dead kangaroos inside NSW chillers, they will target the major kangaroo meat markets of Russia, Germany, Belgium and France in an attempt to stem the growing human appetite for eating our national icon. A representative of the Wildlife Protection Association, Mark Pearson, and a project officer with Animal Liberation, Angie Stephenson, say they have evidence that kangaroo carcasses in some chillers used by Australia's largest exporter are contaminated with fecal matter, E. coli and other micro-organisms. Their organisations paid for analysis of the swabs, which they say were collected from chillers used by the exporter, Vacik Distributors. But chillers are used to hold carcasses en route to a factory, and Mr Pearson conceded he had no evidence of meat leaving the company's processing plant being contaminated. Both the company and the Kangaroo Industry Association say stringent checks mean the meat is completely safe. Mr Pearson and Miss Stephenson will begin their campaign in the largest market of Moscow, where they will target the local Australian Open restaurant, which serves kangaroo stew, which online guide of the Moscow Times also advises should be avoided for culinary reasons. The pair also plan to tell Europeans that kangaroo shooting is cruel and say they have documentary and photographic evidence that some kangaroos have been shot in the body - not with the single clean bullet to the head required by an industry-regulated code of practice. "There was an outcry in Europe about the killing in Norway and Canada of the harp seals," Mr Pearson said. "We will be saying the killing of the harp seals is a Sunday picnic compared to the killing of kangaroos in Australia." Armed with kangaroo masks and large pictures of cuddly joeys for demonstrations, they plan to hold media conferences outside Australian embassies and to lobby key members of the European Commission in Brussels. Their aim is to end the growing export of kangaroo meat for human consumption - worth about $200 million a year - and to halt the annual cull. This year's government-approved quotas allow 3.8 million kangaroos to be killed nationwide. Mr Pearson says he also has evidence that in some instances temperatures in chillers and transport trucks holding kangaroo carcasses exceeded the recommended seven degrees. Victor Bates, director of Vacik Distributors, said the claims by the two groups were completely unfounded. Carcasses that were contaminated in any way, that had been shot in breach of the code or that had been held or transported in excessive temperatures were condemned and would not be processed at his company's factory, he said. "Every animal is inspected by an [Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service] meat inspector under supervision of a veterinary surgeon. We carry out stringent bacterial controls throughout the factory on a daily basis." The temperature in trucks was recorded on a graph and an AQIS vet checked each load of carcasses as it arrived at the factory, he said. A spokesman for the Kangaroo Industry Association, John Kelly, said any test results the groups were using had to be questioned because government-controlled test systems ensured that the meat was perfectly safe. "The saddest part of it is these people are attempting to shut down an industry which is hailed almost universally by Australian scientists as delivering beautiful environmental models of how we should utilise this land." *SMH Stop Press; We have a Media Conference organised in Sydney on Monday (tomorrow) morning to release more information about our yearlong campaign. Meanwhile our two representatives met with the European Union delgate on Thursday in Canberra. We dont have the results of that meeting yet, as they are both currently in flight to Moscow. But we do understand that after the Industry was approached by European Union representatives on the Friday, and by Saturday most of the chiller boxes in NSW had been closed. We also understand that NSW NPWS have been cutting the locks on some chiller boxes, and breaking in, presumably to undertake last-ditch inspections! Our Kangatoo Protection Coalition website has also been upgraded, at www.kangaroo-protection-coalition.com/page-map.html More details soon. *********************** Please copy and paste the letter below and Please email Malcolm Turnbull
http://www.malcolmturnbull.com.au/contact/contact.aspx or
malcolm.turnbull.mp@aph.gov.au , Steve Pratt CHANGE the current No Kangaroo Policy to a Yes Kangaroo Policy, with a full term rehabilitation for eastern grey kangaroos on the Wildlife Carers Group (WCG) Rehabilitation Carers Licence. There has been a No kangaroo policy in place in the ACT/'Bush Capital' ( what a joke) since the mid to late 80's. This policy was put into place by those who hate kangaroos, are making money out of, and/or are profiting out of the slaughtering/butchering of our kangaroos, with the prime outcome to drive our kangaroos to extinction. The kangaroo management panel for the government, is made up of these very people, which is a serious conflict of interest, and further, a serious animal welfare issue, deliberately driving kangaroos to extinction, is an environmental/conservation issue. This kangaroo management panel needs to be removed asap and replaced with wildlife groups, before it is too late. As a result of the No Kangaroo Policy, and the current kangaroo management panel, our kangaroo numbers, that are an important part of our heritage, are at an all time low, and is getting lower in numbers each year. In 2006, the ACT only had 35 joeys handed in for rehabilitation, (none of these joeys were rehabilited, they were all destroyed, most of them most inhumanely) proof that our kangaroos, an important part of our heritage, are at an all time low, in 2007 it will be half that amount again. The group's rehabilitation licence only allows 48 hrs rehabilitation, however, 48 hrs is allowed to anyone without a licence, for any wildlife. This change occurred after Nora Preston, President/Founder of WCG, brought to the Environment ACT and the Chief Minister's attention, that the licence was wrong, when it claimed that eastern grey kangaroos are not native to the ACT. The licence was immediately amended to show that eastern grey kangaroos are native to the ACT, with the 48 hours limit of rehabilitation also included on it. This rule has a detrimental effect on our wildlife with people who don't know what they are doing, killing our wildlife with kindness. The public must contact a wildlife group immediately they pick up/or find any wildlife for professional/expert advice. Kangaroos that don't need to be destroyed, currently are. Wildlife Carers Group (WCG) has been pushing for a change in the policy to a Yes Kangaroo Policy for 2 years now, and for full term rehabilitation for kangaroos on the WCG licence. Nora Preston, of WCG has personally asked interstate wildlife groups to help with this mission. Wildcare's President, Steve Garlic, helped and pushed for about 12 months, until he finally secured the importation of the 35 joeys to NSW at designated sites for release, once rehabilitated. The reality of this is, that Steve Garlic has informed the President/Founder of WCG, that Wildcare do not have the manpower to rehabilitate these joeys and are being euthanased. WIRE's has pushed that ACT needs to get back in touch with the kangaroos, and start rehabilitation and handling of our own joeys, to remove the fear and misunderstanding of kangaroos from the ACT public, that Environment ACT has wrongfully and deliberately put into place, with deliberate misleading information to the government, and the public who have enquired into kangaroos. Environment ACT's disastrous lobbying has a devastating impact on the environment and conservation, throwing the eco system out of balance because of their misleading information that they feed to the government and everyone else who enquires. ACT Gov. needs to be re educated with kangaroos, to be back in touch with them again, and we need to rehabilitate our own eastern grey kangaroos, once rehabilited, we can then liaise with Wildcare, to have them released at the designated sites, already agreed with the government. Wildlife Carers Group Inc. (WCG) will need exporting licences for the release of the rehabilitated kangaroos into NSW. For welfare reasons, Lethobarb needs to be used on kangaroos and other wildlife that actually do need to be euthanased, the use of tranquilliser guns, for those that don't need to be euthanased, so that they can be humanely transported, stress free, that either need to be removed from busy roads, to avoid fatalities, or rehabilitated, that are too large for pouches, and/or rangers take kangaroos and other wildife to the vets, and for those who definitely need to be euthanased, are humanely done so, using lethobarb by the vet. The rangers current vehicles are not suitable to safely transport any wildlife, currently using pick up trucks/utes without a canopy. Their vehicles need to be properly equipped for rescue/transport, with a canopy over it. The ACT is known as the 'Bush Capital'. Let's keep it that way and immediately Change the No Kangaroo Policy to a Yes Kangaroo Policy, without any further delays. Yours sincerely, (write your own names here) Wildlife Carers Group ***************************
KANGAROOS at Serendip Wildlife Sanctuary could be culled and stopped from reproducing as the drought takes its toll. Parks Victoria yesterday revealed the Eastern Grey Kangaroo population was struggling to survive as they competed for scarce food resources.A spokeswoman said Parks Victoria was considering population control, including fertility control, as a way to ease the effects of the drought.``Serendip provides challenges because there is water available but limited food,'' she said. ``We are monitoring the condition of the kangaroos and are discussing the issue with a range of agencies and experts, including vets.``We expect to be making a decision on a way forward in the coming weeks.''The spokeswoman said Australia's native animals generally coped well with drought, being able to adapt to the dry conditions. The plight of the starving kangaroos was highlighted on Sunday after Lara resident Jack Howard watched a kangaroo slowly die from starvation. ``This particular roo has just been getting worse and worse and it died on Friday,'' he said.``There's no food there, it's bare as. It's a big worry because they are starting to go into farmer's properties and eat what they can. But you can't blame them they're starving.'' Mr Howard said Parks Victoria needed to cull the kangaroo population, relocate it or feed the starving animals. ``Once they get a bit weak, those poor devils, there's nothing we can do for them. We have to more or less watch them die, and that's not nice,'' he said. The Geelong Advertiser on inspection of Serendip Sanctuary yesterday found one dead kangaroo carcass and several other rotting carcasses. The Sanctuary was bare and dry, the earth exposed to the elements as food sources started to disappear. Mr Howard's daughter, Rosie, said she thought another two kangaroos were sick and slowly dying, having separated themselves from the pack. ``It's so sad, this is our national symbol and we don't want to see their health compromised,'' she said. ``There's just too many roos out there for the food available. It's just what happens with the drought.'' Geelong News ******************** Thanks everyone who sent an email to the Qld Environment Minister about Nanango Racecourse wanting a Permit to kill kangaroos on the racecourse. Her reply is below; Thank you for your e-mail of 26 February 2007 expressing concern at the alleged proposal to cull kangaroos at the Nanango Racetrack prior to 7 April 2007. The Minister has asked me to reply on her behalf. The Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) has not issued a permit to cull kangaroos prior to the April race meeting, nor has any application or enquiry been received by the QPWS in relation to such a proposal. A QPWS officer has visited Nanango and spoken to a number of residents, members of the Nanango Race Club and the Nanango Shire Council in relation to the matter. The Chairman of the Nanango Race Club advised that the Race Club was not considering conducting a kangaroo cull before the April race meeting, or at any other time. The Minister thanks you for bringing this matter to her attention and hopes this information clarifies the situation. Yours sincerely, Simon Munro, Assistant Policy Advisor The reply sent by the Minister is the standard courtesy reply, nothing else. But as to QPWS, Nanango Racecourse and Nanango Council, well there's been nothing courteous about them. One local resident who has witnessed what has gone on and made official complaints was told by QPWS that this is just a "....malicious campaign..." against the racecourse and council. Reports and documents prove otherwise. It seems that previous culls/kills have not been monitored nor have they been carried out properly or humanely, with reports that the joeys have been fed to their dogs whilst still alive. It appears to be that they have been caught out and they don't like it. No-one has opposed or questioned them before and how dare we!!!!!! The so-called 'powers that be' have reacted not responded, and their subsequent reactions prove this. A campaign is now underway by the Wildlife Wanderer's Carers Group Assn Inc (WWCGAI) to petition the Nanango Racecourse and Nanango Council under their 'Duty of Care' to put a fence around the racecourse, this is a permanent solution for all parties concerned (especially the wildlife), including the adjoining airstrip. The 'old boys' club is very active between the racecourse committee and the council, but something has to be done once and for all. * Local Source. ************************* On the 28th February 2007, the Wildlife Protection Association of Australia lodged an Appeal with the Federal Administration Appeals Tribunal in Sydney, over the NSW 2007 to 2011 commercial Kangaroo Kill. We made application to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal seeking review of the decision of the Federal Minister for Environment, Mr Ian Campbell to declare the 'New South Wales, Commercial Kangaroo Harvest Management Plan, 2007-2011' (the Plan) an approved Wildlife Trade Management Plan on 19 December 2006, pursuant to section 303FO of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth). This will be the last AAT Appeal we will ever be able to mount. In previous Appeals we have managed to secure significant changes to the way Kangaroo Management Plans are developed and implemented. But late last year (2006) the Federal Government amended the EPBC Act to prevent any interest group challenging the Ministers decision on wildlife management plans. If the Ministers delegate approves a wildlife kill plan (not likely), we can Appeal, but not if the Minister approves it. However there are other options available to us under State and Federal legislation, but the costs are usually exorbitant. This Appeal is all or nothing. We must have a good result, it's the last chance we have to secure a safe future for our kangaroos. More information about the Appeal (and updates as the Appeal progresses) can be found at www.kangaroo-protection-coalition.com/kangaroo-AAT2007.html ************************ It's Back....the Kangaroos are Under Attack Senate Bill (SB880) has been introduced that would allow the sale of kangaroo skins in the state of California. If this bill passes it would erase a law that was implemented in 1970 to protect kangaroos by prohibiting the sale of their skins. A similar bill passed last session that reversed this protection for alligators and now their skins are allowed to be sold in California. We must make sure the same fate does not face the kangaroos! PLEASE write members of the Senate Natural Resources Committee and send a copy to the Committee consultants (contact information below). Most do have sections on their website where you can fill out a form to e-mail them (go to the Contact Us section). Urge them to vote NO on SB880 and remind them that: a) Kangaroos are NOT farmed. They are wild in Australia (and exist only Australia) where they are hunted at night. b) Kangaroos are shot at night by hunters. 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 that they are trying to change was made to protect certain "look-alike"species so that Californians do not unwittingly contribute to the extinction of a species d) California and Federal laws prohibit the sale of seal products from Canada because of the cruel killing not because they are endangered. If the kangaroo is a mother and she has a baby in her pouch, the baby is taken out and killed by a heavy blow to the head (according to the Australian Code of Practice). Killing the adults for their skins and killing the babies in the pouches is just asking for a decline in their populations. e) 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). f) Is it worth killing off an unique species just for soccer shoes? Members of the Senate Natural Resources Committee: Darrell Steinberg (Chair) -- Represents Sacramento area State Capitol, Room 4035 Sacramento, CA 95814 Bob Margett, (Vice Chair) - Represents portions of LA, Orange & San Bernardino Counties State Capitol, Room 3082 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 6514029 Fax: (916) 3240922 Dave Cogdill -- Represents Mariposa, Madera, San Joaquin, Fresno, Tuolumne and Stanislaus Counties State Capitol, Room 3048 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 651-4014 Christine Kehoe -- Represents Del Mar and Lemon Grove, and parts of San Diego, Casa de Oro-Mo, La Presa, and Spring Valley . State Capitol, Room 3086 Sacramento, CA 95814 (619) 645-3133 E-mail: Senator.Kehoe@sen.ca.gov Michael Machado -- Represents Tracy, Manteca and Stockton in San Joaquin County; Suisun City, Fairfield, Dixon and Vacaville in Solano County; Davis, West Sacramento, Winters and Woodland in Yolo County; as well as Walnut Grove and a portion of Elk Grove in Sacramento County . State Capitol, Room 5066 Sacramento, CA 95814 Carole Migden -- Represents Marin, and portions of San Francisco and Sonoma Counties. State Capitol, Room 5114 Sacramento, CA 95814 Sheila Kuehl (see district below contact information) State Capitol, Room 5108 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 651-4023 Fax: (916) 324-4823 Email: senator.kuehl@sen.ca.gov District includes the cities of Agoura Hills, Beverly Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Malibu, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Monica, West Hollywood and Westlake Village, as well as several communities in the City of Los Angeles, including Bel Air, Beverly-Fairfax, Beverly Glen Canyon, Brentwood, Canoga Park, Century City, Chatsworth, Encino, Hollywood, Mt. Olympus, Pacific Palisades, Sherman Oaks, Studio City, Tarzana, Topanga, West Los Angeles, West Hills, Westwood and Woodland Hills . Please also take a minute to send a polite letter to the bill's author: Senator Ron Calderon -- Represents Southeast Los Angeles State Capitol, Room 5080 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone: (916) 651-4030 Fax: (916) 327-8755 Please fax the committee consultants at 916.323.2232. THIS IS THE WAY TO MAKE SURE YOUR "VOTE" IS COUNTED. Meeting with the office of your Senator would be incredibly helpful. Just let us know if you need help. If you are from California and want to keep up to date on this piece of legislation and want to help, please e-mail us at roos@vivausa.org, we will not be updating this list regularly. For more information on the plight of kangaroos and the Adidas campaign, please go to: http://www.vivausa.org/campaigns/kangaroo/kangaroo.html Thank you for your help! For the animals, lauren Ornelas Volunteer Kangaroo Campaign Coordinator **************** Apart from the water crisis, the big dry has created another problem in Brisbane — a kangaroo plague. Thousands of the animals are flocking to the outer suburb of Wacol in search of food, causing a major problem on the roads. About 20 kangaroos are hit by cars each week, according to the RSPCA. Something has to be done along here," motorist Kathryn Gow said. "Some of them are huge guys. They're so old and what an undignified way to go." The RSPCA estimates up to 8000 kangaroos are now in the Wacol area — twice the number recorded in 2003. "It's going to get drier, so the situation's only going to get worse," RSPCA inspector Michael Beatty said. Police are becoming increasingly concerned about the traffic hazard these large animals pose. Acting senior sergeant Steve Peck said the early morning and the late evening seemed to be the worst times "When you put increased numbers in a smaller area, then yes the frequency on the road is becoming quite noticeable." The Environmental Protection Agency met with animal welfare groups, landholders and scientists this week to discuss the problem, but they admit they have not come up with a solution. A cull appears to be inevitable, but the RSPCA says it wants a permanent management plan. "Quite frankly something should have been done ten years ago," Mr Beatty said. Ed. Comment; We wonder if it's too hard for them to put up a "Slow Down" sign? And we wonder about the RSPCA's ability and experience to count kangaroos! ********************** Archives can be found at www.kangaroo-protection-coalition.com/archives.html To subscribe to our weekly wildlife ezine, "Wildlife Bytes" send and email to info@wildlifeprotectaust.org.au With 'Subscribe Wildlife Bytes' in the subject line. Pat O'Brien, Coordinator, National Kangaroo Protection Coalition email; pat@wildlifeptotectaust.org.au http://www.wildlifeprotectaust.org.au http://www.kangaroo-protection-coalition.com http://www.kangarooslaughter.com *2005 and beyond, The Year of the Kangaroo!*
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