Kangaroo Shooting

Background information

RSPCA Australia’s Kangaroo Shooting Code Compliance report (2002)

What are the RSPCA’s main concerns over kangaroo shooting?

Non-commercial killing of kangaroos

Shooting female kangaroos and joeys

Is there a need to kill kangaroos?

RSPCA Australia’s Kangaroo Shooting Code Compliance report (2002)

In 2002 RSPCA Australia produced a report examining the level of compliance with the Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos within the kangaroo industry. The report became known as the Kangaroo Shooting Code Compliance Report.

The full Kangaroo Shooting Code Compliance Report can be downloaded from
www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/trade-use/publications/kangaroo-report/index.html 

The report provided an update on a 1985 RSPCA Australia report on the incidence of cruelty to kangaroos. The Commonwealth Department of Environment and Heritage (then known as Environment Australia) commissioned the report and set the terms of reference. The recommendations contained within the report were from RSPCA Australia.

The project was undertaken in two main parts. The first part involved obtaining information from government agencies, non-government organisations, businesses and individuals on the management of kangaroos, licensing of shooters, and the perceived level of compliance with the Code of Practice. The second part involved the inspection of carcasses and skins from kangaroos killed for commercial purposes in the four mainland states where commercial kangaroo killing is allowed: New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia.

The report also discussed the animal welfare issues arising from the non-commercial killing of kangaroos and the killing of orphaned pouch young and young at foot and compares the present situation with the recommendations made in the 1985 Report. The report closes with a summary and list of recommendations from RSPCA aimed at improving the humaneness of kangaroo management.

What are the RSPCA’s main concerns over kangaroo shooting?

The Kangaroo Shooting Code Compliance Report indicated that there has been an improvement in the humaneness of commercial shooting of kangaroos since the last RSPCA report was published in 1985. But there are still serious problems with the shooting of kangaroos. The RSPCA’s main concerns are as follows:

• The 1985 Report identified non-commercial shooting as having the greatest incidence of cruelty and the 2002 Report indicated that this is still the case.
• While training courses, increased controls and other changes have contributed to the improvement in the commercial sector, no such improvements have been introduced for non-commercial shooters.
• In terms of commercial shooting, it is estimated that every year approximately 100,000 kangaroos shot by commercial shooters are not shot in the head, ie are not killed humanely. No-one knows how many kangaroos are shot inhumanely by non-commercial shooters.
• Every time a mature female kangaroo is shot, her dependent joey is killed by the shooter (as required by the Code) or will die from predation, dehydration or starvation.
• The process of setting quotas for killing kangaroos does not relate population reduction directly to damage mitigation. Kangaroo management plans are now treating kangaroos as a sustainable resource available for commercial use, rather than making a decision for control as a result of examining the welfare of kangaroos or their impact on the environment.

Non-commercial killing of kangaroos

The general opinion given by those associated with kangaroo management is that there is a far higher degree of inhumane killing of kangaroos in non-commercial killing than with commercial killing. We do not know what the level of cruelty is as the level of policing and enforcement of the Code at the non-commercial level is extremely limited.

There are a number of reasons why non-commercial shooting has a higher level of cruelty than the commercial industry, including:

• a far lower level of control and enforcement
• no requirements for training or testing of shooting competence (marksmanship)
• a lack of incentive to head-shoot as the carcasses will not be inspected or taken to a processor

Although some non-commercial shooters will be conscientious of the Code and its requirements, there will always be those who are, at best, indifferent to the pain and suffering they inflict. The existence of recreational shooting licences in some States encourages those shooters who are only interested in killing kangaroos for the thrill and ‘fun’ of it. Shooting in parties or kangaroo drives can result in inappropriate behaviour because of the peer pressure involved. Of particular concern is the consumption of alcohol in combination with firearms and the subsequent effect on the behaviour of shooters.

While many measures have been taken since 1985 to improve the humaneness of the commercial kangaroo industry, nothing has been done to encourage similar improvements to the non-commercial sector. The RSPCA believes it is time that this situation was addressed. The RSPCA recommends an end to the current system of non-commercial licences for damage mitigation and recreational shooting, to be replaced by a system where kangaroos can only be shot by properly trained commercial shooters.

Shooting female kangaroos and joeys

Much of the public concern about the shooting of kangaroos stems from the killing of females and the resultant death of their joeys. The Code of Practice requires that if a shooter kills a female with pouch young, then they must kill the joey. Depending on the size of the joey this is usually done by decapitation or a blow to the head. Larger young may be killed by shooting. If the shooter does not kill them, dependent young will die of starvation, exposure or predation.

RSPCA Australia has made several recommendations on this issue. Firstly, the Code of Practice should contain a condition that no females carrying large pouch young should be shot. Secondly, research should be carried out to determine the most humane method of killing small pouch young in cases where the mother has been shot, and what factors should be taken into consideration when estimating the survival chances of pouch young. However, RSPCA Australia believes that the only solution which would totally avoid the potential of cruelty to pouch young would be not to shoot females at all, and believes that research should be carried out to examine the potential effects of such a policy.

Is there a need to kill kangaroos?

Due to a range of factors, including traditional farming practices and land disturbance, in many areas of Australia there is an imbalance in wild populations of kangaroos. While major changes to the way in which we farm or manage our land are unlikely in the short-term, it is sometimes considered necessary to control these populations of kangaroos. For instance, control may be considered necessary in areas where resources are insufficient to sustain the local population, or where there is direct competition with other grazing animals on agricultural land (damage mitigation).

However, in most States or Territories, the process of setting quotas for killing kangaroos no longer relates population reduction directly to damage mitigation. Kangaroo management plans treat kangaroos as a sustainable resource available for commercial use, rather than making a decision for control as a result of examining of their impact on the environment. Given the effects of drought and climate change, there is debate about the effect of the current sustainable use approach on future populations of commercially exploited species.

RSPCA Australia believes that the issue of whether kangaroos and wallabies should continue to be killed under a sustainable use policy should be reviewed by both federal and state/territory governments. Continuing research is needed to determine the impact of current culling practices on kangaroo populations and their environment.

RSPCA Australia believes that any measures taken to reduce kangaroo populations should first be proven to be necessary (through a proper consideration of the reasons for control). They must be conducted humanely and be under the direct supervision of the appropriate government authorities (as part of an approved kangaroo management program). Effective monitoring and auditing of such programs is vital to ensure that these conditions are met.

There are a number of aspects of the current management of kangaroos that do not conform to these conditions, such as:

• Large numbers of kangaroos are shot inhumanely every year, particularly under the non-commercial system.
• Each time a female kangaroo is shot her dependent joey is either killed by the shooter or will die as a result of predation, dehydration or starvation. The RSPCA has serious concerns about the suffering caused by shooting females with pouch young.
• The process of setting quotas for killing kangaroos does not relate population reduction directly to damage mitigation. Kangaroo management plans are now treating kangaroos as a sustainable resource available for commercial use, rather than making a decision for control as a result of examining the welfare of kangaroos or their impact on the environment.

Until these issues have been properly addressed, questions remain about the humaneness of kangaroo shooting and the basis for current government policies on the management and killing of kangaroos.