Australian Politicians Urge US Senators to Reject Kangaroo Import Ban

An Eastern Grey Kangaroo is seen in Coffs Harbour, Australia, on Nov. 25, 2022. Matt Jelonek/Getty Images

Australian politicians of both political persuasions have called on the U.S. Senate to reject a proposed kangaroo import ban due to its impact on the Australian economy.

This comes after two U.S. senators, Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.), tabled a bill to the Senate in September, proposing ending the sale of commercial products made from kangaroo skin in America.

In introducing the bill, Duckworth said it would help prevent the “deadly exploitation” of kangaroos and encourage manufacturers to use more “humane” alternative materials.

“The mass killing of millions of kangaroos to make commercial products is needless and inhumane—and we must do better,” she said.

Echoing the sentiment, Booker said the United States needed to take action to conserve the kangaroo species and protect them from exploitation.

“This legislation will ensure that no one in the United States can distribute kangaroo products for commercial benefits,” he said.

The two senators claimed that the commercial killing of kangaroos in Australia was ten times larger than Canada’s seal hunt, which caused the United States to ban the import of seal pelts in 1972.

They also said the bill received support from 150 organisations across the United States.

The bill has prompted Australian politicians and diplomats to start a campaign to dissuade the U.S. Senate from passing the bill.

Specifically, state and federal leaders of the National Party have contacted a related U.S. Senate Committee about the proposed bill, while Australian diplomats have expressed concerns with their U.S. counterparts.

In addition, 30 Labor and Coalition MPs in the state of New South Wales (NSW) recently joined hands to formally urge the Australian government to address the issue with U.S. senators.

Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was aware of the proposed legislation, noting that Australian diplomats were monitoring the situation and would continue to advocate for kangaroo products as appropriate.

This is not the first time that U.S. politicians have entertained the idea of banning kangaroo products.

In 2021, two congressmen, Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.) and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), introduced the “Kangaroo Protection Act” bill into the U.S. House of Representatives. The bill sought to impose strict penalties on the importation of kangaroo leather or meat to the United States.

Meanwhile, sportswear giant Nike decided to phase out its kangaroo leather products in 2023 due to pressure from animal activists.

Sustainable Industry: Biologist

NSW Nationals Leader Dugald Saunders raised concerns that the bill failed to recognise the facts of the kangaroo industry in Australia.

“Here in NSW and right across the country, we have a highly regulated and sustainable commercial harvesting program that allows kangaroos to thrive while also providing a crucial industry for regional communities,” he said.

“While this legislation may have had good intent, it will lead to a population boom, which won’t be good for our Aussie kangaroos or other native wildlife.

“It will also cause a $200 million (US$131 million) annual hit to the Australian economy and affect our $82 billion agriculture industry.”

When kangaroo populations balloon out of control, they are treated as pests as they compete with livestock for natural resources and cause damage to pastures and fences.

Neal Finch, a professional wildlife biologist with 25 years of researching and managing Australian wild animals, voiced his frustration about kangaroo extinction claims in Europe and North America.

“That’s criticism against my work as a scientist ... [but] the science stacks up,” he said.

“There’s plenty of kangaroos. It’s a very sustainable industry and very heavily regulated.”

According to data from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water, the 2022 kangaroo population in the commercial harvest areas in five main states was over 36 million.

In the same period, around 1.3 million kangaroos were harvested, far below the sustainable quota of over 5 million.

Meanwhile, Humane Society International Australia has criticised the NSW government for the commercial kangaroo culls approved by the state.

“This commercial industry is the largest consumptive mammalian wildlife industry in the world, with a high cost to animal welfare, Australian society and animal populations,” it said.