EU must stop the imports of kangaroo products in light of new report into cruel hunting practices
On 15 October, the Parliament of New South Wales, one of the main kangaroo hunting states in Australia, published a report on the inquiry into its commercial kangaroo industry. In the light of the report’s appalling findings, Eurogroup for Animals calls upon the European Commission to ban the placing on the EU market of products derived from kangaroo hunting.
On 22 October, Eurogroup for Animals, along with its members and other NGOs, sent a joint letter to Stella Kyriakides, EU Commissioner for Health and Food Safety and to Valdis Dombrovskis, Executive Vice-President of the European Commission, presenting the key findings of the New South Wales (NSW) parliamentary inquiry on Health and Wellbeing of kangaroos and other macropods in NSW, and reiterated the call for the EU to ban the import of kangaroo products.
The recent inquiry provided ample evidence on the cruel treatment of animals stemming from kangaroo hunting. Kangaroos are shot at night, in remote areas without scrutiny or enforcement, leading to non-lethal shots that cause horrific injuries and a slow death. If females are killed, dependent joeys endure a cruel and violent death, or are left in the field to suffer exposure to starvation or predation.
The Australian and NSW government admitted to the inquiry that there are no records kept on how many baby joeys are killed every year by the commercial killing of kangaroos. They are the forgotten part of this trade of wildlifeDr Dror Ben-Ami, Director, Voiceless
The inquiry report also clearly recognises that the prescribed method of killing in this industry - a single head shot - is sometimes not achievable in a real world scenario, and that there is no monitoring mechanism to ensure the animals have been killed in the least harmful wayReineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals
Between 2016 and 2019, EU imports of both kangaroo meat and skins have increased. The EU thus remains the first destination of Australian exports of kangaroo meat, and European citizens are deeply concerned about the cruelty of kangaroo hunting. It’s time for the EU to take action according to its values, and for Australia to listen and move past this gruesome industry.Reineke Hameleers, CEO, Eurogroup for Animals
Notes
Read the parliamentary inquiry on Health and Wellbeing of kangaroos and other macropods in NSW
Read the Letter to Commissioner Kyriakides and Executive Vice-President Dombrovskis
Read the Letter to Minister Ley
Watch the new video released on the occasion of the second World Kangaroo Day (24/10)
Download the report Kangaroo: from australian icon to meat and luxury leather for the EU
Press contact
Agnese Marcon, Communications Manager, Eurogroup for Animals
a.marcon@eurogroupforanimals.org
+32 (0) 456 078 038
Eurogroup for Animals represents over eighty animal protection organisations in almost all EU Member States, the UK, Switzerland, Serbia, Norway, Australia and the US. Since its foundation in 1980, the organisation has succeeded in encouraging the EU to adopt higher legal standards for animal protection. Eurogroup for Animals reflects public opinion through its members and has both the scientific and technical expertise to provide authoritative advice on issues relating to animal protection.
