Letter from the National Kangaroo Protection Coalition to The Hon.R. Debus, Minister for the Environment, Parliament House, Macquarie Street, Sydney 2000. 25th September 2002
Call for moratorium
Dear Minister,
Due to the ongoing and prolonged severity of the drought, wildlife species are under pressure with many birds, mammals and other animals perishing right now. The large kangaroo species especially are under extreme stress as this year's national quota (6.9 million) is the highest ever on record. Commercial exploitation compounds the drought crisis for those animals that are hunted continuously for their meat and skin. Instead of a moratorium during drought, the commercial industry continues the killing, regardless of conservation considerations.
The organizations listed below, call upon the NSW Environment Minister, the Hon.Bob Debus to impose an immediate moratorium on kangaroo killing, at least until the drought ceases, in order that macropod populations can be re-assessed and protected from over exploitation during the drought period. Unfortunately, quotas are set prospectively whilst scientific data (justifying the kill quotas) is collated retrospectively.
Even if moral considerations are put aside, it is clear from recent scientific evidence that the red kangaroo could be in real trouble. In July 2001, a scientific conference was held at the University of NSW (UNSW) entitled "Recent Advances in the Scientific Knowledge of Kangaroos" At this conference the following important facts were revealed:
1. The average age of red kangaroos in Western NSW is only two to four years despite the fact that red kangaroos can live up to twenty five years or more in the wild. (Alternative management strategies for harvested kangaroos in the Murray-Darling Basin, Hacker, R.B. & McLeod, S.R., NSW Agriculture)
2. The average weight is now only eighteen kilos, although adult males can weigh up to 85 kilos. (Ibid, Dr.Steven McLeod, NSW Agriculture. 1999)
3 . Scientific evidence also suggests that red kangaroo populations cannot increase by more than 6-8% a year on average during good times. However, the killing quota is currently set at three times that rate, ie at approx. 21% of the "assessed" population. (The Facts : survivorship of Red Kangaroo young to weaning and its effect on population dynamics, Amanda Bilton, UNSW).
The farmers' myth about plague populations of kangaroos competing for feed with sheep and cattle has been dispelled. A 4 year study has shown that kangaroos compete minimally with stock for feed in most years. (McLeod,S.R. 1999)¹ Where competition occurs at very low pasture biomasses, kangaroos suffer more than stock since stock have been bred over 10,000 years to survive under almost any conditions until they exhaust all food supplies regardless of the ecological consequences. Adverse competitive pressure on red kangaroo populations was predicted by Dr.G. Caughley (Caughley, G.1987)²
Sheep will grow wool and produce lambs until they starve to death in drought. In contrast red kangaroos and euros cease breeding as green grass declines, juveniles die as drought intensifies since they cannot gain an adequate energy intake on poor pastures, and old animals also frequently succumb to drought. This natural regulation of populations in drought has been established in the scientific literature since the 1950s! (see Frith, H.J & Calaby JH. 1969. Kangaroos. FW Cheshire, Sydney)
During drought when available biomass is reduced, the estimation of population numbers may be overly optimistic because kangaroos will already have stopped breeding, be declining in numbers but at the same time appear more visible because they congregate in areas where vegetation still remains.
Macropod populations have been living in harmony with the land for over fifteen million years. The commercial exploitation of kangaroos commenced 25 years ago and our scientific knowledge relating to kangaroos exists for only 20 years. The more science reveals, the more we are seeing that past assumptions were wrong. The genetic strength of red kangaroos (and possibly greys as well) may be weakened by escalating commercial pressure. History has shown that sudden crashes of wildlife populations have over taken other species once populous, to the brink of extinction.
If the NSW Government is serious about the "Precautionary Principle" it needs to introduce a moratorium during this environmental crisis. The late Dr.Graeme Caughley, who was the pioneer of kangaroo survey methodology and its correction factors, always stated that a moratorium on the commercial industry should be enacted during drought. It seems no one is choosing to acknowledge the key person responsible for much of today's information on the species.
We therefore urgently call upon you as the Minister for the Environment to impose an immediate moratorium on the commercial killing of kangaroos and to afford to our 'protected' macropod species, the protection supposedly enshrined in legislation but being denied in practice.
Yours faithfully,
Pat O'Brien - Co-ordinator
ANIMALS AUSTRALIA (ANZFAS)
NCC - NATURE CONSERVATION COUNCIL
WORLD LEAGUE FOR THE PROTECTION OF ANIMALS
TOTAL ENVIRONMENT CENTRE
HSI - HUMANE SOCIETY INTERNATIONAL
WILDLIFE PROTECTION ASSOC. OF AUS. INC
AUSTRALIANS FOR ANIMALS
FRIENDS OF THE EARTH
ANIMAL LIBERATION
KANGAROO PROTECTION CO-OPERATIVE
ANIMAL SOCIETIES FEDERATION
AUSTRALIAN WILDLIFE PROTECTION COUNCIL
Reference
McLeod S.R. (1996) The foraging behaviour of the arid zone herbivores the Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus) and the Sheep (Ovis aries) and its role in their competitive interaction, population dynamics and life-style strategies.PhD Thesis, University of NSW, Sydney 235pp.
