By Callum Ludwig
Donald Trump’s tariffs might be the most talked-about topic in Australian exports at the moment, but another potential policy in the US could have a major impact on a controversial Australian animal product.
Republican Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick and Democrat Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky this month reintroduced the Kangaroo Protection Act, H.R. 1992, which would ban the sale of kangaroo body parts in the United States.
Founder of the Victorian Kangaroo Alliance Alyssa Wormald said they are delighted that American lawmakers are reintroducing the Kangaroo Protection Act to ban the import of kangaroo body parts into the USA.
“This move showcases exemplary leadership, ethics, and a commitment to divesting from Australia’s cruel, dirty and unsustainable wildlife trade, receiving decisive international support and validation is a tremendous boost for Australians like us who are passionate about wildlife conservation and animal welfare,” she said.
“A ban in the USA would be monumental, a game-changer, the loss of this major importer would decimate demand, crippling the kangaroo industry, and sending a resounding message that kangaroo exploitation is unacceptable,”
“International pressure is pivotal in kangaroo protection, as many Australians have been misled by government and kangaroo industry narratives that ‘justify’ the mass slaughter. An American import ban would shatter this illusion, sparking intensified scrutiny and critique both domestically and internationally.”
Kangaroo leather has been commonly used as a material in the production of football boots or ‘cleats’ as they call them in America, but in recent years major brands like Diadora, Nike and Puma have already opted out of using kangaroo products.
Ms Wormald said she believes that decades of work from activists around Australia and abroad is certainly having an impact.
“The kangaroo wildlife trade has always been secretive, but it is increasingly being exposed, and people are shocked and horrified by the grim reality, like many animal exploitation industries, it is falling victim to the Information Age,” she said.
“The kangaroo trade is widely condemned by international wildlife and animal welfare organisations, the inherent cruelty of this industry makes it impossible to justify, there is virtually no oversight at the point of kill, and kangaroos are inevitably subjected to appalling suffering, while joeys are callously bashed to death or left motherless,”
“This egregious treatment is unacceptable, and we are proud to be listed amongst so many eminent organisations that have stated this unequivocally.”
Ms Wormald also pointed to the success of the US ban on imports of koala pelts in the 1920s, eventually leading to the end of the industry, and she believes while ‘koalas have still not recovered’ and might never, ‘they would have been extinct much sooner if the Americans hadn’t intervened.’
According to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act) List of Threatened Fauna, a total of 55 mammals, birds, fish, frogs and other animals have gone extinct in Australia.
In a press release by the US-based Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy, president Wayne Pecelle said they are so grateful to Reps. Fitzpatrick and Schakowsky and other lawmakers from both parties for leading the fight.
“The Kangaroo Protection Act will cut off the U.S. market for Australian commercial shooters and global major athletic shoe companies whose supply-and-demand relationship has been driving the slaughter more as many as two million kangaroos a year, including hundreds of thousands of joeys orphaned after their mothers are shot,” he said.
“In America, we don’t allow this kind of mass commercial slaughter of our native wildlife, and neither should we import wildlife parts and outsource these killing sprees.”
Australian not-for-profit kangaroo welfare organisation Kangaroos Alive put out ‘A Global Declaration of the Kangaroo Welfare Crisis’ condemning instances of cruelty prevalent in the commercial industry for kangaroo parts and has been signed by international scientists, academics, philosophers, ethicists, animal welfare and protection organisations and wildlife experts, including the Victorian Kangaroo Alliance which first formed in the Yarra Ranges.
The congress members responsible for reintroducing the Kangaroo Protection Act in the US provided comments to Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy.
“As a co-chair of the bipartisan Congressional Animal Protection Caucus, I am proud to lead the charge on policies that promote animal welfare and conserve our wildlife,” Congressman Fitzpatrick said.
“Our bipartisan Kangaroo Protection Act will prohibit the commercial sale of kangaroos, ensuring that those who exploit these animals in the United States are held accountable.”
“Over two million kangaroos are killed for commercial purposes each year. As a staunch animal rights advocate, I believe we owe it to these majestic creatures to protect their welfare,” Congresswoman Schakowsky said.
“I am proud to lead the bipartisan Kangaroo Protection Act, which will make it illegal to exploit kangaroos in the United States and impose penalties for violations.”
The Australian Wild Game Industry Council, which advocates for the commercial kangaroo harvesting industry, was contacted for comment.
