Kangaroo meat is sourced from the 4 main species of kangaroos that are harvested in the wild. It is currently the largest commercial land-based wildlife trade on the planet. Kangaroo harvesting only occurs in approved harvest zones and quotas are set (usually around 15%-20%) to ensure the sustainability of kangaroo populations. In some places (e.g., Victoria), the harvest quotas have tripled. If numbers approach minimum thresholds harvest zones are closed until populations recover. Kangaroos are harvested by licensed shooters in accordance with a strict code of practice to ensure high standards of both humaneness and food hygiene. Meat that is exported is inspected by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS).
The kangaroo has been historically a staple source of protein for some indigenous Australians. Kangaroo meat is very high in protein and very low in fat (about 2%). Kangaroo meat has a very high concentration of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) when compared with other foods. CLA has been attributed with a wide range of health benefits. Kangaroo meat is also processed into pet food. Due to its low fat content, kangaroo meat cannot be cooked in the same way as other red meats, and is typically either slow cooked or quickly stir-fried.
Since kangaroos are shot in the wild, there are a number of hygienic concerns. Harvesters are not required to wear gloves or protective clothing whilst slaughtering or field dressing the animal. It occurs at night in rural locations. Kangaroo carcasses are hung from the back of an open truck whilst being transported to field chillers or processors. Dust and flies may cover the carcasses. Cross contamination with other animals such as feral pig and feral deer can also occur as these animals are stored in close proximity. As with other meats, kangaroo meat is known to harbor a number of parasites and pathogens; toxoplasmosis and salmonellosis are two infections with public health significance related to the handling, processing and consumption of kangaroo meat. Russia has banned imports of kangaroo meat due to concerning levels of Escherichia coli that have been detected.
Production[edit]
Kangaroo meat is sourced from the 4 main species of kangaroos that are harvested in the wild. Although most species of macropod are protected from non-Aboriginal hunting in Australia by law, a number of the large-sized species which exist in high numbers can be hunted by commercial hunters.[2] This policy has been criticised by some animal rights activists.[3] On the other hand, the kangaroo harvest is supported by some professional ecologists in Australia. Groups such as the Ecological Society of Australia, the Australasian Wildlife Management Society and the Australian Mammal Society have stated their support for kangaroo harvesting. Such groups argue that basing agricultural production systems on native animals rather than introduced livestock like sheep offers considerable ecological advantages to the fragile Australian rangelands and could save greenhouse gas emissions.[4][5]
Though it is impossible to determine the exact number, government conservation agencies in each state calculate population estimates each year. Nearly 40 years of refinement has led to the development of aerial survey techniques which enable overall populations estimates to be constructed.[6] Populations of the large kangaroo species in the commercial harvest zones across Australia vary from approximately 25 to 50 million kangaroos at any given point in time.[7]
Kangaroos are protected by legislation in Australia, both state and federal. Kangaroo harvesting only occurs in approved harvest zones and quotas are set to ensure the sustainability of kangaroo populations. If numbers approach minimum thresholds harvest zones are closed until populations recover. Kangaroos are harvested by licensed shooters in accordance with a strict code of practice to ensure high standards of both humaneness and food hygiene. Meat that is exported is inspected by the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service (AQIS).[8][9] In 1981, the Australian meat substitution scandal revealed that kangaroo meat intentionally mislabeled as beef had been exported to the United States and other countries.
Harvest quotas are set by state or territory governments but all commercial harvest plans must be approved by the Australian Government. Only approved species can be harvested and these include: red kangaroo (Macropus rufus), western grey kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus), eastern grey kangaroo (Macropus giganteus), and common wallaroo (Macropus robustus). Sustainable use quotas are typically between 10 and 20% of estimated kangaroo populations. Total populations are estimated by aerial surveys and a decade of previous data and quota numbers are calculated by government and science organisations to ensure sustainability. Even though quotas are established by each state, very rarely does actual culling reach 35% of the total quotas allowed. For instance, "[i]n the 2015 harvest period, 25.9% of the commercial harvest quota (for Queensland) was utilised".[10] When quotas are not utilised landholders in most states and territories resort to culling overabundant kangaroo populations. As kangaroos are protected, permits are still required but culled carcasses are generally either mass buried in large underground graves or left in paddocks to decompose and not utilised.
Animal welfare[edit]
The kangaroo meat industry has attracted critical attention in Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States from animal rights organisations.
Their concerns centre on the hunting process, in which all Kangaroo meat for the global market comes from Kangaroos harvested in the wild. In 2009 wildlife ecologist Dr Dror Ben-Ami for a University of Technology Sydney think-tank estimated that 440,000 "dependent young Kangaroos" are bludgeoned or starved to death each year after their mother has been shot. However, Kangaroo harvesters insist that they must follow a strict Code of Practice [19] to ensure the highest standards of humaneness and the Code [20] provides strict guidelines to ensure young aren't left to starve.
A report published in 2020 [21] demonstrates that commercial harvesting actually has better humaneness outcomes than other forms of population control.
In the United Kingdom, the sale of Kangaroo meat has prompted protests from animal welfare campaigners. German retailer Lidl announced in 2018 that it would stop selling Kangaroo steaks following "customer feedback".[22] Iceland, Tesco and Morrisons have previously stopped selling lines of Kangaroo meat.[23]
Some suggest that when such campaigns are successful in decreasing commercial harvesting rates, this leads to an increase in non-commercial culling of Kangaroos – permits for which are available in every Australian state and territory to address issues associated with over-abundant Kangaroo populations. Non-commercial culling can be carried out by non-professional shooters, unlike professional harvesters who are required to undertake regular accuracy testing to ensure that humane standards are being met. It is more difficult to monitor non-commercial culling practices and Kangaroos killed under these permits cannot be sold commercially so they are left to decompose in paddocks, rather than being utilised.
A study by the RSPCA suggested that around 40% of Kangaroos are mis-shot (shot in the body, The code of practice states that Kangaroos should be shot in the head)
The RSPCA (2002) notes "sampling at the processor does not take into account the number of Kangaroos shot in the field that were not taken to the chiller or processor", and that "accurate surveying of shooters is extremely difficult because of observer influence affecting the results." It is recognised that most Kangaroo shooting is not able to be observed given "in most circumstances where Kangaroos are shot this is not feasible". There has been no large scale independent study done since.[24]
Injured Kangaroos have been seen by residents who appear to have had their jaws blown off, it is unclear whether these have been shot commercially or non-commercially.
Kangatarianism[edit]
Kangatarianism is a recent practice of following a diet that cuts out meat except Kangaroo on environmental and ethical grounds. Several Australian newspapers wrote about the neologism "Kangatarianism" in February 2010, describing eating a vegetarian diet with the addition of Kangaroo meat as a choice with environmental benefits because indigenous wild Kangaroos require no extra land or water for farming and produce little methane (a greenhouse gas) unlike cattle or other farm animals.[25][26] Advocates of Kangatarianism also choose it because Australian Kangaroos live natural lives, eat organic food, and are killed humanely.[27][28] For similar reasons, Australians have discussed eating only the meat of Australian feral camels ("Cameltarianism").[29]
Name[edit]
There has been discussion from the Kangaroo meat industry about attempting to introduce a specific culinary name for Kangaroo meat, similar to the reference to pig meat as ham and pork, and calling deer meat venison. The motivation is to have diners thinking of the meat rather than the animal and avoiding adverse reactions to the eating of an animal considered to be cute.
In 2005 the Food Companion International magazine, with support from the Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia, ran a competition hoping to find a name that would not put diners off when they saw it on a menu.
The three-month competition attracted over 2700 entries from 41 nations, and the name australus was decided in December 2005. The name was penned by university professor Steven West, an American about to be naturalised as an Australian citizen. Other finalists for the name included kangarly, maroo, krou, maleen, kuja, roujoe, rooviande, jurru, ozru, marsu, kep, kangasaurus, marsupan, jumpmeat, and MOM (meat of marsupials).[30]
The competition is not binding on the Kangaroo Industry Association, which has not moved to adopt the new name in any official capacity.