Betrayal and Sellout of our Kangaroos!

Australia's unique heritage of indigenous animals has been treated with contempt and brutality since white man arrived. We are a nation led by soul-less politicians whose only concern is money, power and the ability to destroy this continent's ecology behind a protective wall of propaganda and extraordinarily irresponsible legislation, which guarantees extinction. The first thing that needs to be said about the betrayal of the kangaroo is that the sell out has not been confined to government, industry, politicians, media and some scientists…the kangaroo has also been sold out by the environmental movement both nationally and internationally.

Over the years, millions of dollars were raised overseas to help the kangaroo. Millions and millions, money that never came back to Australia so that desperately needed legal action could be taken, or professional campaigns funded. In spite of the mountains of evidence that the kangaroo industry is robbing Australia of a critical component of its wildlife heritage, the major Australian conservation groups have by and large ignored the plight of the kangaroo. (Sue Arnold ('The Kangaroo BETRAYED!')

The kangaroo is a symbol of Australia. A bloody symbol of a nation whose leaders turned away from their moral, social and environmental responsibility . The kangaroo's fate will be shared by the remaining unique wildlife in this great continent. Deliberate, politically induced extinction so that a few may gain from the death of a species. Further information can be found in the 'Hierarchy of Betrayal' 2002 KANGAROO KILL QUOTA : 6, 942, 687

GENETIC LOSS AND NATURAL SELECTION PROCESS

· "When a shooter enters the structured society of a mob of kangaroos, he destroys a complex system by killing the alpha male , his immediate rivals and the older females who are the educators of the mob. This selective hunting results in females mating with young males and the loss of the inherited genetic strengths of the mob" Defying natural selection, and acting to ensure the artificial process of always killing the biggest and best out of a mob, is a threat to the future survival of the species. Even though there is an increase in populations, the animals are not healthy, not fit and the populations are unstable.

· The critical point is that he survival of any of our wildlife species depends on a multitude of interrelated complex factors. If we continue to exert further pressure through inappropriate culling, this could very well precipitate the rapid extinction of the species.

· "In any wild animal, if you disrupt in a short period of time the normal reproduction processes that have evolved over tens of thousands of years, you are in danger of putting the species at risk. Many of these species suffered incursion of exotic bacterias and viruses when their populations contained a critical and unsustainable gene pool " Doug Reilly 'From Conservation to exploitation in South Australia' 'The Kangaroo BETRAYED!' · A recent research document 'Kangaroo Genetics: Impact of Harvesting' Report for NSW NPWS, by Dr Peter Hale states that 'The effects of the commercial harvest are therefore unlikely to produce genetic changes in the population' so that there was no negative genetic fallout from decades of killing the biggest and best kangaroos, those that carry the most vigorous genes. · However, this assumption by Dr Hale has been challenged on several points by Dr Ian Gunn the Director of 'Animal Gene Storage Resource Centre of Australia ' Monash University Medical Centre., and other scientists. TAX PAYER FUNDING FOR THE KANGAROO INDUSTRY ; SUBSIDISING THE KILLING

· The Queensland Government partly funds the Queensland Kangaroo Management Program. · Rural Industry Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) continues to allocate significant funds in their Annual Plan for ' Kangaroo Product Marketing '. · The Commercial Use of Wild Animals Report' was funded by the Kangaroo Industry. ALP Northern Territory Senator Bob Collins was a Founding member and launched The Ramsay Report 1994, 'Bureau of Resource Sciences' · Cocktail party in Parliament House Canberra to announce a new research and development program administered by the RIRDC to assist the continued development of the kangaroo industry, launched by Federal Minister Warren Truss and Michael Archer (Australian Museum) to provide RIRDC funds of $120,000 for media releases , salaries etc to John Kelly. (Kangaroo Industry Association Australia ) · RIRDC diverted $92,000.00 from the Tasmanian Dept of Transport to John Kelly for kangaroo, possum, wallaby meat harvesting and meat processing · There are other examples of Federal Government tax payer funding to prop up and promote the kangaroo industry, such as providing funds to the kangaroo industry to answer its critics. · Environment Australia puts out glossy publication designed to promote eating kangaroo meat · The KIAA states (internet) they receive $500,000 funding per year from Federal Government

COUNTING METHODOLOGY

· 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 it's lack of accuracy. · Following a workshop held at the University of Queensland in 1998, Tony Bigwood Director of Wildlife Populations Environment Australia issued a directive to the NSW NPWS Kangaroo Program Manager, Joshua Gilroy that new correction factors would apply and admitted that grey kangaroos could not be distinguished from the air and recommended that the correction factor be lifted from 2 to up to 4.8. In 1997, the correction factor for greys was 2.2. Corrections factors are better known as 'guesstimates'

· Correction factors apply in the following way…when you see one kangaroo, multiply by 4.8 or a number nominated such as 6.9, to compensate for those kangaroos that cannot be seen. Every state uses different corrections factors and they keep changing

· Sustained yield presupposes that animals are removed from the herd (mob) according to the needs of the herd (mob) for the presence of mature males and females sufficient to ensure reproduction rates. There is shooters preference for mature males and the kill of this class may be as high as 80%. This clearly, over the short term, will change the reproduction rate and better the performance of the higher percentage of females in the herd (mob). However, there is evidence that reproduction is reliant upon proven males. This type of 'culling' removes the most fit males and females and moves the herd ( mob) overall towards unfitness and an unstable population.

· 'Taking the biggest and best Red kangaroos for the skin trade and taking the young one to two year old red kangaroos for the human meat consumption trade puts insupportable pressure on the red kangaroos. An up to 80% male bias in the kill leaves weaker, more unfit, unstable unhealthy populations to bred 'next years' crop.'

· Compelling evidence heard at the 'Recent Advances in the Scientific Knowledge of kangaroos' Conference held at the UNSW July 14, 2001 revealed that the average female red kangaroo produces only 3.5 viable offspring in her lifetime of 9.75 years. This means that the red kangaroo population only grows between 6-8% a year when under pressure. The current quota of 21% of estimated population of red kangaroos is three times the growth rate and will reduce the population by 75 % in ten years if the full quota is taken each year. There is already evidence of this reduction of red kangaroo populations occurring.

· Another startling figure to come out of the conference was a statement by Dr Steve Mc Leod NSW Agriculture that the average age of the red kangaroo populations was two years and the average weight only 18kgs. This makes it clear that the red kangaroo is under extreme pressure bearing in mind that red kangaroos can live to nearly thirty years of age and reach a weight of 85 kg or more…

· The quota determination does not include road kills, the number of kangaroos shot illegally, those lost through disease outbreaks which sporadically occur after rain, damage mitigation permits issued by NPWS etc · Most females carry two joeys, one in the pouch and one at foot so for every female kangaroo killed, another two die as well

KILLING KANGAROOS WILL SAVE THE LAND · The land in question is the arid and semi-arid rangelands and is not suited to grazing. In fact, only twenty -five of the past one hundred years have been drought free. These areas are insignificant in terms of crop production and account for less than 15% of meat production. The environmental destruction caused by this industry is immense. Kangaroo shooters' vehicles criss cross the fragile outback terrain causing erosion and disturbance of rare native flora and fauna.

· The kangaroo, even in large numbers, can only be placed VERY LOW on a long list of environmental and economic factors affecting land holders' profits. The viability of properties on this marginal and uneconomic land, so low in nutrients, must be questioned.

THERE ARE MORE KANGAROOS NOW THAN AT THE TIME OF WHITE SETTLEMENT

· This is absolutely untrue. Historical records prove that kangaroos were widespread and abundant at the time our forebears settled this country.

· CRUELTY · The Code of Practice for the 'Humane' Shooting of Kangaroos stipulates that ' pouch young of a killed female must also be killed immediately by decapitation or a heavy blow to the skull to destroy the brain or shooting.' Such a method has been condemned by the international community when applied to baby harp seals.

· So why is this cruel and inhumane practice legal in Australia? · Who monitors this brutality? Film footage records stomping on joeys heads, bashing joeys against bullbars, against tree trunks and sometimes perpetrators do not even bother to kill joeys, but instead just leave them to die .

· Ex-kangaroo shooters say that there are many factors which affect the accuracy of their 'skills' and there only has to be a minute error in the aim for wounding to occur. Moonlight, wind, damage to telescopic sights, tiredness, driving long distances, and continually 'shot at' kangaroos become jumpy and fail to stand still. · The mouth of a kangaroo can be blown off and the kangaroo can escape to die of shock and starvation. Forearms can be blown off as can ears, eyes and noses. Stomachs can be hit, expelling the contents with the kangaroos still alive. Backbones can be smashed to an unrecognisable state. Hind legs can be shattered with the kangaroo desperately trying to get away on the other leg or without the use of either. (ex-kangaroo shooter)

· Some kangaroo shooters believe that the 15% figure of wounding quoted by the RSPCA is a minimum figure, to say the least.

· The kangaroo industry argues that commercial killing merely replaces natural predation by dingoes. But contemporary studies of the dingoes diet indicates they depend on a wide range of food and hunt in packs only when small game is not available.

· Also, the dingoes take the joeys which does not harm or threaten the natural selection process while the kangaroo killing industry takes the biggest and the best of the species which defies the natural selection process and threatens the species.

ECONOMICALLY UNVIABLE

· Australia’s export markets demand beef and sheep meat, not kangaroo meat. If Australian farmers don’t supply it, farmers in Argentina, the US, or somewhere else will. The economics also don’t add up. It can take 12 years or so for a kangaroo to become full grown and even then it produces only 10 kg or so of useable meat, worth $1.50 to $3 a kg. A two year old bullock produces 200kg or so of useable meat worth $8 or more per kg, while a lamb produces 20kg of useable meat at 3 to 6 months old. As well, kangaroos cannot replace our billion dollar wool clip. If we wanted to replace our beef production with roo meat, we would have to kill the entire Australian roo population about 400 times each year.

FEDERAL LEGISLATION

· Australia has Federal Legislation and Regulations which facilitates the exploitation of kangaroos but no legislation to protect them from extreme cruelty. · Why isn't the Code Of Practice not linked to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (POCTAA)? Who polices cruelty?

LAND DEGRADATION

· There is considerable evidence to show that there is no competition between sheep cattle and kangaroos, except when severe drought occurs, or when heavy overgrazing is permitted. (Dr Steve Mc Leod, NSW Agriculture)

· Another research project from Gatton Agricultural College indicates that cattle grazing alone, have more impact on the soil than kangaroos and cattle grazing together. (Qld. Country Life 2002)

· Kangaroo shooters' vehicles crisscross the fragile outback terrain, causing environmental degradation and crushing the small native animals, some of which are endangered. When shooters gut the kangaroos, they leave their remains which feeds the feral animals such as pigs cats and foxes. · The author of the Bible of Environment Australia 'Commercial Harvesting of Kangaroos in Australia', describes kangaroos as pests more than 40 times but has now made new contradictory statements that scientific evidence concludes kangaroos are not a competitive grazing threat to cattle and sheep: " this would mean that kangaroos are a much smaller component of the 'total grazing pressure' (TGP ) than is generally accepted ," and " the hope of getting a significant improvement in wool production by 'pest control of kangaroos' is probably doomed to failure " ? ( Gordon Grigg at the Wildlife Management Society Annual General Meeting, Dubbo, NSW 3-5/12/2001 )

· Its not the effect of hard-hoofed animals per se on our fragile soils that cause land degradation; it’s too many hard-hoofed animals on too much marginal land. There are many Australian farmers who manage their farms well, do not overgraze, who plant more trees, allow regrowth, use cell grazing and water retention techniques, fence adequately, and who don’t kill the wildlife. These farmers have few land degradation problems. It is important to note that harmful farming practices take place under the hammer of economic demands, which push farmers to do things that destroy the environment, things which they may not have done otherwise. The real issue is whether or not we should be farming in the arid and semi-arid zones at all.

WHY PUT UP KANGAROO QUOTAS WHEN BARELY HALF OF QUOTA IS SHOT?

· The recent quota increases which have outraged the community groups, have again raised the question of "why have quotas anyway?" If only half of the previous years' quota was shot, why did they raise it by 1.2 million in 2002? The NPWS and EA have changed the correction factors to 6.9 to help them estimate the populations. "They need to explain the reasons as populations may not have changed at all " (Dr David Croft). We need a Review of environmental factors. The RSPCA is opposed to the quotas system yet does not speak out against the cruelty, nor does RSPCA play any role in prevention of cruelty, as is their Charter.

· The Federal Government's 'Scientific Committee on Wildlife Use', while expert in their field, are biased in favour of the commercial harvesting of kangaroos. 3 of the scientists come from the same Queensland Institution while 2 of those are from the same Department and hold the same views.

· There is no voice for the welfare of kangaroos, no voice for Tourism and related non-consumptive use, no voice to say that kangaroos should not be killed as a resource because they have intrinsic value and no voice to speak against the largest and fittest males being singled out by the commercial industry, leaving kangaroo populations a teetering pyramid. This disregard for important stakeholders like the $6 billion nature-based tourism industry, and breaches of ecological and scientific oversight are indeed very serious.

· To have such a stacked committee making decisions about Wildlife Use is morally indefensible because it does not permit discussion about other ways we value wildlife.

· A truly independent scientific committee on wildlife use advising the Federal Minister must be reconstituted. This Scientific Committee should be called Wildlife Protection, not Wildlife Use.

AUSTRALIAN VETERINARY ASSOCIATION (AVA)

· There is considerable disquiet about a fairly recent change in Policy in the AVA which is: 'The AVA supports kangaroo harvesting in Australia which it does following a process of extensive consultation with a large number of stakeholders."

· 'Just who are these important stakeholders? Are they the hundreds of thousands of tourists who fly on aircraft bearing the symbol which they hope to see in the wild, nature lovers, environmentalists, children who sleep with toys in their shape or people like myself who abhor the wholesale destruction of these magnificent creatures.' (letter in AVA Journal 'Aust Vet/Vol 78, No 5 May 2000)

STATE KANGAROO ADVISORY COMMITTEES IGNORE OPPOSTION TO INDUSTRY

· NSW and Queensland government kangaroo advisory committees are set up to facilitate the Industry, and have nothing to do with the welfare of kangaroos. In Queensland, only two delegates represent conservation interests, and one of those publicly supports the commercial kangaroo industry. Repeated requests over many years to have more animal welfare or tourism involvement, have been ignored.

· In NSW the NPWS called for public submissions to the Draft 2002 Kangaroo Management Plan at the UNSW Science Conference which they sponsored. The Plan removed the damage mitigation clause because they said it could not be monitored and audited Over 80% of public submissions opposed the Plan. NPWS then ignored all those submissions, and sent the Plan off to the Federal government for rubberstamping. So much for community consultation. Non-government groups are appealing the NSW Plan through the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

HEALTH ISSUES / ANTE MORTEM INSPECTION BY UNQUALIFIED SHOOTERS

· Kangaroos are shot at night, disemboweled amongst the faeces of other animals on the ground, hung on the side of truck, than driven around for the rest of the night, amongst dust and insects. Eventually they are taken to a chiller box, and held in storage until required. They are then trucked to an abattoirs and processed. There is no inspection before shooting, and ante-mortem inspections are carried out by the shooter in the field. Considerable concerns have been raised about health issues of this game meat. It has been well documented that kangaroo meat carries many diseases and viruses. (Speares and Obendorf)

· In South Australia in 1998, AQIS health official Eddie Andriessen blasted the industry, saying that recent inspections revealed flyblown, dust and dirt contaminated meat being sent to Adelaide for sale. 15 chiller boxes inspected were not up to standard, being unclean, and "uncleanable". The surrounds had roo feet left there from 2 years ago.

· In Brisbane, a woman who unknowingly consumed undercooked kangaroo meat in a restaurant, contracted toxoplasmosis, and her baby was born blind as a consequence. (Womans Day 16th Oct 1995 "Kangaroo meat blinded my baby") Why do the State and Federal Governments ignore the health warnings about Game meats?

· The commercial kangaroo industry by its own admission is worth $200 million a year. The tourism Industry is worth $60 billion, according to the Federal Tourism Minister. Dr David Croft has described large mobs of kangaroos as one of the great wildlife experiences that the outback has to offer both domestic and international tourists. Most tourists who travel the outback lament about how few kangaroos they saw, and "most of them were road kills." Dr Croft believes that a sound tourism strategy would promote viewing of large mobs of kangaroos and associated fauna as a world class wildlife experience.

WE REFUTE KANGAROO PLAGUE ALLEGATIONS

· Historical records show that kangaroos were widespread throughout all of Australia at the time our forebears settled the country recorded by noted Historian Dr John Auty. Refer Dr John Auty Paper UNSW July 14, 2001 "Recent Advances in the Scientific Knowledge of Kangaroos" · Claims made by farmers and Industry that kangaroos have increased by many millions since white settlers arrived are myths and propagandised. Significant numbers of large kangaroos now only occur in scattered areas of Central Australia, where they are being ruthlessly and relentlessly killed. · LACK OF EFFECTIVE ENFORCEMENT & MONITORING / CODE OF PRACTICE

· There is no effective monitoring of Codes of Practice. All requirements are monitored by the shooter himself. Enforcement of legislation in remote Australian rural areas is impossible.

INDUSTRY FEEDS FERAL ANIMALS

· Remains of kangaroos are left on the ground to provide food for feral pigs and wild dogs. Farmers then use 1080 poison in an attempt to control them. 1080 also kills native animals, with many reports of non-target wildlife deaths. As a result, the kangaroo Industry not only impacts on kangaroo populations, but also on the protection of bio-diversity.

COMMUNITY EXPECTATIONS

· Most Australians are under the impression that Environment Australia and each of the State Wildlife Authorities protect our wildlife. Nothing could be further from the truth. NPWS and all Government Wildlife Agencies such as Environment Australia are pro-kangaroo industry and DO NOT PROTECT kangaroos; · they promote the kangaroo industry · they oversee the kangaroo killing zones and monitor the kangaroo industry · they set quotas to kill kangaroos · they act as agents for issuing killing tags · they are apologists for the kangaroo killing industry.

AUSTRALIANS MUST DEMAND IMMEDIATE CHANGE

· Australian citizens must demand that our disappearing wildlife be adequately protected. · Australians must call for an end to the commercial killing of kangaroos. · Australians must act to ensure that politicians accept the non-lethal, non consumptive uses of kangaroos as their only appropriate use · Australians must demand that politicians act to ensure that the non-consumptive uses of our kangaroos be implemented · Australians must insist on the development of eco-tourism and associated industries · Australians want all native wildlife protected now and in the future

Compiled by Pat O'Brien, President, Wildlife Protection Association of Australia Inc., and Maryland Wilson, President, Australian Wildlife Protection Council, for the National Kangaroo Protection Coalition 2002

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