Victoria approves culling of 50,000 more kangaroos than last year despite unknown flood impact

Victoria has approved a plan to increase the number of kangaroos legally killed in the state by a third, in a move criticized by animal welfare advocates.

The Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action released a report on the state's commercial kangaroo harvesting program and permitting regime "wildlife control authority".

It recommends that the number of gray kangaroos slaughtered for meat harvesting be increased to 166,730 by 2023, up 30% compared to last year.

The number of permits issued to landowners to shoot kangaroos on their property is expected to increase by 19% to 69,600.

In total, the global quota of kangaroos to be killed has increased by 27%, from 185,850 in 2022 to 236,350 in 2023.

The quota increase was derived from aerial surveys in September and October of last year in the state's seven kangaroo harvest areas.

Of these, the statewide gray kangaroo population was estimated at 2.4 million, with the recommended culling target set at 10% of the total.

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"The abundance of gray kangaroos in non-forested parts of Victoria has increased by about 24% from that reported in the 2020 aerial survey, with notable increases in point estimates evident in five of the seven harvest areas,” the report states.

“This increase is most likely due to the mild and moderately wet conditions experienced in Victoria over the past two years.< /p>

"The increase in the population of gray kangaroos has led to an increase in the total allowable take of kangaroos."

Georgie Purcell, newly elected Animal Justice MP, said the kangaroos had suffered from natural disasters such as flooding in the past 12 months.

"The Victorian government is completely negligent to accept a population report that does not include this at all," she said.

"We don't know how many kangaroos have been lost in unprecedented flooding in Victoria, yet the government has approved a 27% increase."

< p class="dcr-h26idz">AAP has contacted the department for comment.