THE launch of a kangaroo mascot as the international symbol of Australian tourism could backfire by highlighting the mass slaughter of our national icon in the largest commercial killing of land-based wildlife on the planet, Animals Australia said yesterday.
The animal protection organisation today slammed the hypocrisy of using kangaroos to lead Tourism Australia's new global campaign while over 1.5 million kangaroos are cruelly slaughtered each year in a largely unmonitored and inhumane trade that turns our unique native wildlife into pet food, shoe leather and other products.
"Tourism Australia using a kangaroo as its 'face' of tourism is the equivalent of Japan adopting a whale as its tourism icon or Canada marketing itself using harp seal images," said Animals Australia Director of Development Louise Bonomi.
"If Australia Tourism's Ruby the Roo was an actual kangaroo, she would be targeted by the commercial kangaroo shooting industry," Ms Bonomi said.
"Tourists would be absolutely horrified if they had a glimpse of the nightly slaughter that inflicts immense suffering on kangaroos shot in the wild and huge trauma for the surviving animals who manage to escape the shooters' rifles.
"This is an industry that thrives under the cover of darkness, which might explain why Tourism Australia were possibly unaware of it and did not anticipate any backlash. Most Australians would not know that this industry exists and that joeys are killed every night as 'collateral damage'. Too small to be profitable, but too vulnerable to survive without their mums who are taken by shooters, the joeys are instead routinely killed by bludgeoning or decapitation.
"The government-endorsed mass commercial slaughter of kangaroos in Australia has become our national shame that has sparked growing outrage in the US, Europe and other countries that cannot understand our seeming indifference to a beloved species found only in our corner of the planet.
The sale of kangaroo meat and leather has long been banned in California while a Kangaroo Protection Act introduced in the US Congress last year aims to ban the sale of kangaroo products nationally. A growing number of global brands are also turning their backs on kangaroo products as part of ethical buying policies that ban participation in international wildlife trades.
"While the Tourism Australia advertisement conveys the compassion that most Australians have for kangaroos, no marketing campaign can undo the massive damage to Australia's international reputation caused by our callous disregard of many of our unique wildlife species, including kangaroos," Ms Bonomi said.
Animals Australia have called on state and federal governments to put an end to the commercial kangaroo industry.
