Kangaroo Hunting Divides Australians : New Kill Quotas Decried, but Others See Need for Tougher Curbs

Government quotas sharply increasing the number of kangaroos that can be legally hunted this year have conservationists up in arms. They call it a disgrace to Australia’s national symbol.

Environment Minister Barry Cohen has fixed the new quotas at 1.29 million for four of the five states where kangaroos can be legally shot, an increase of 662,000 over last year. The quota for Queensland has yet to be set but that state is pressing for a kill quota of 1.8 million, which Cohen says is too high.

The conservationists maintain the kill quotas go beyond what is necessary to keep the kangaroo population under control.

Newspaper Campaign

They took an advertisement in the Sydney Morning Herald showing a kangaroo waving an Australian flag and saying: “Don’t shoot us--we’re Aussies too.”

The skins of kangaroos that are shot generally are used in making sporting goods, such as running shoes and soccer balls. The meat is mostly canned for pet food. Kangaroo steaks are offered in some Australian restaurants.

The overall quota total will probably reach 2.67 million with the inclusion of the Queensland quota, said Prof. Derrick Ovington, who heads Australia’s National Parks and Wildlife Service, which sets the quotas. Last year’s overall quota was 1.98 million.

The quota for Queensland has been delayed because of a dispute with the Environment Ministry over the 1.8 million kangaroos it wants killed.

Crops, Fencing Damaged

The Wildlife Service said the annual kangaroo kill is necessary because kangaroos destroy crops and costly fencing around rural farm properties. Annual damage to farmers is put at about $100,000.

Quotas are set at an estimated 15% of the kangaroo population, but the problem is that no one really knows how many kangaroos there are.

In an interview, Ovington estimated the population at 10 million to 19 million. The estimate is based on aerial surveys, and Ovington said the latest surveys suggest a total population of about 16 million.

Accurate figures for the 47 different species of kangaroos are not available.

Lobbying in Europe

Conservationists have seized on the lack of hard information on kangaroo numbers to argue that some species could become extinct if the killing doesn’t stop. They have lobbied in the United States and Western Europe to dramatize their campaign.

Richard Jones, director of Australia’s Fund for Animals, said that in addition to the 2.67 million kangaroos expected to be legally shot this year at least 500,000 joeys, as young in the pouch are called, will also perish as a result.

Ovington confirmed that figure.

There is also a reported illegal trade in kangaroo skins, but just how widespread the trade is cannot be determined. Animal welfare groups say unlawful killings by weekend shooters could amount to several hundred thousand, but officials dispute this.

“In my view, there are more now than there ever were,” Ovington said. “People have been saying for over 30 years that kangaroos are becoming extinct. It hasn’t happened yet. There is no scientific argument for that.

Linked to Deer Hunting

“Yes, it is one of the biggest slaughters in the world. But it’s no different from deer hunting in the United States. About the same numbers apply.”

Ovington added that if kangaroos were not controlled legally, farmers would do it themselves.

“Our biggest fear is that the farmers would start to set poison around their properties and take the law into their own hands,” he said. “Then there would be no control.”

Seven Species Hunted

Seven species are hunted: eastern reds, eastern grays, wallaroos, whiptale wallabies, western grays, bennetts wallabies and rufus wallabies.

Jones and other animal lovers say they have no objection to the killing of the animals, commonly called “roos” here, if they are causing genuine economic hardship to farmers. But they question whether they cause such as much destruction as they are blamed for.