AWPC
The Australian Wildlife Protection Council (AWPC) has slammed the proposed kangaroo pet food processing plant at Inglewood Victoria saying that it will destroy the region’s liveability, peace and amenity and wipe out the area’s native kangaroo population.
President of the AWPC Peter Hylands said “Where this industry operates in other parts of Victoria residents live in constant fear of hearing the sound of high-powered rifles in the middle of the night close to their homes and wake the next morning to discover the remains of mis-shot kangaroos and orphaned joeys of dead mothers”. “We have testimonials from residents and business owners in towns where commercial kangaroo killing operates saying their lives and livelihoods have been shattered as a result of the brutal slaughter of these animals”.
AWPC’s Ian Slattery, and long serving wildlife rescuer in the region, said Loddon residents will be the ones who will pay the price if this abattoir goes ahead. “Don’t be fooled by the industry spin that this is a humane and ethical industry which is undertaking the culling for the benefit of kangaroos”. He said “As rescuers we are the ones called out by locals the morning after the killing to deal with the aftermath. Kangaroos with limbs and jaws shot off, remains of butchered bodies and orphaned joeys calling out for their dead mothers. It is a sickening sight and the locals who discover these poor animals are traumatised by what they have witnessed”.
The AWPC says that contrary to industry’s claims, kangaroos in Victoria do not exist in vast numbers. “Campaspe Meat Company want to process 2000 kangaroos every week. At this rate every kangaroo in the Loddon region will be killed in a matter of just months. If this facility is allowed to proceed, Central Victoria will end up the same as regions in NSW and S.A where the kangaroo pet food industry has all but wiped-out local populations of native kangaroos”.
Mr Hylands said “This is simply not a sustainable business, and the handful of jobs Campaspe Meat Company claims will be a boon for the economy will be short lived. All that will result is the cruel slaughter of native animals for the short-term financial gain of a handful of people.
Mr Hylands said there are far greater and sustainable economic benefits to be gained from using wildlife to promote tourism. Studies show Australia’s unique wildlife is a major nature-based tourist attraction. In 2019, 16.9 million visitors to and within Victoria engaged in at least one nature-based activity, an increase of 82 % from the previous five years. In 2017 tourism in regional Victoria was worth $7.5B to the economy and created employment for 85,600 people. If we are serious about job creation and regional economic benefit, we should be protecting kangaroos, not killing them.”
Mr Slattery said, “This is a cruel and heartless industry interested in only one thing – profiting from the slaughter of our native wildlife”.
