Plight of the Kangaroo...a Summary!
The killing of kangaroos is the largest terrestrial wildlife slaughter in the world. Last year's quota was the highest ever at 7 million. This year, 2003, the quota has been reduced by 5%, even though kangaroo populations are known to have dropped by up to 70% The annual quota does not take into account the cruel killing of an estimated two to three million orphaned joeys which die each year. Most female kangaroos have two dependent joeys, one in pouch and one ex-pouch joey. Of four million kangaroos killed 1.6 will be females. If 1.2 million of these are in active reproduction then around 1 million 'in pouch' joeys and 1 million 'ex pouch' joeys die. The killing of 'in pouch' joeys is unavoidably cruel. They are either left to die a slow death, or hit on the head. The Code of Practice recommends decapitation with a sharp object, usually an axe. Ex pouch joeys may escape but eventually die due to predation by foxes, starvation, protein deficiency, hypothermia and psychic deprivation. The killing of kangaroos takes place in remote areas without any monitoring by authorities. Peddling the Myth! Using native animals as a scapegoat for land mismanagement is a common occurrence in Australia. European farming practices devastate fragile topsoil which affects flora and fauna. Vast areas of Australia are turning to desert each year because of overgrazing and clearfelling. Kangaroos and other native animals become the scapegoat for land mismanagement
Claims that kangaroos eat out pastures has been refuted by CSIRO & the University of NSW reports which clearly state that kangaroos only compete with sheep and cattle during times of drought.
Promotion of kangaroo farming as an alternative to cattle and sheep is not a viable marketing strategy. The general public would not substitute kangaroo meat for traditional meat. The Industry
The kangaroo industry is subsidised with taxpayers' money. The kangaroo industry has boomed in the last 25 years based on the myth that killing kangaroos will reduce the population and thereby help graziers. Killing quotas are based entirely on the needs of the industry and have risen steadily over the past 25 years, in spite of teh fact that populations have decreased. The majority of income generated from kangaroos is their pelts, which are exported and processed into leather products such as sports shoes and baseball gloves. Greenpeace exposed discrepancies in the order of 200,000 more raw skins exported to Italy from 1985 to 1987 than official records declared. Even today the government does not collect comprehensive statistics of kangaroo pelts for export.
Uncertain future!
Culling is an exercise whereby entire family groups are killed in order to reduce populations. The kangaroo industry does not practice culling. The largest kangaroos are taken for the biggest profit. This interferes with the natural selection process.
Little is known about the long term genetic effects of commercial killing programs, where the largest animals are continually killed. There is significant evidence that due to the industry some kangaroo populations no longer reflect the size, age and weight characteristics typical of strong viable populations. Due to the gradual reduction in size of kangaroos because of the industry, in 1998 the Queensland Government approved reducing the minimum size pelts from 5 square feet to 4 square feet. The Industry then applied to have the minimum size reduced to 3 square feet, because they still couldn’t find enough large animals to shoot. They were refused. The counting methodology has been criticised for many years and it has been changed so often that it no longer has any value or credibility. Aerial counting is well known for its lack of accuracy. Kangaroo Meat -a potential health hazard.
Kangaroo meat is processed in the field with none of the strict abatoir hygiene practices for domestic farm animals. The animals are carted around the paddock in the heat and dust, hanging on the side of the vehicle till daylight, before they are transported to an abatoirs. Kangaroo meat carries high burdens of internal abdominal and muscular parasites and has to be undercooked because it is tough and inedible when cooked thoroughly. Kangaroo meat was the cause of Australia's first recorded outbreak of toxoplasmosis which infected twelve people including a pregnant woman which caused her baby to be born blind. Other types of parasite borne illnesses have also been recorded and are well documented. Kangaroo meat has the potential to introduce diseases into other countries that may affect livestock.
Amazing...one day they are just a curiosity, next minute they are in plague proportions with huge appetites..... Cartoon by Emerson. |
