Independent Kangaroo counts urgently required

After reviewing and presently compiling data from the last 15 years, it has become abundantly clear that our 4 large macropods are in serious decline in their populations right across Australia. In order to be able to provide scientific proof by a specialist team of supporters, members and advocates who are just as concerned, Kanga Watch Inc. are looking at purchasing a drone which this team will be able to use to carry out unbiased and independent surveys which will allow us the opportunity to assess the actual kangaroo density numbers completely away from all of the government data which is being generated year after year by each State Environmental Department and of which is supported by the Federal Government. When the government surveys are done, only small strip of area are covered and this area has been getting smaller each year due to the cost of these surveys. Not all zones are surveyed each year, but are on a 2yrly rotation system in Qld with the exception of 1 zone & a count every 3yrs in other states. This is not adequate management of kangaroo populations to be setting large quotas on each year. Yet the inflated figures being produced on paper in order for Quotas to be set and Culling to take place, have grown well outside the breeding capabilities of all 4 of these species. Between the Pet food trade in Victoria, the NSW & Qld Commercial Harvest (which are the next 2 largest and heaviest cull of kangaroos of the Australian States) not to mention SA, TAS & WA and culling which takes place in the ACT, being in a position to collect this valuable information and data will confirm the REAL situation of kangaroo populations as it stands now. QLD alone have increased their Damage Mitigation Permits from 1% to 2% of the government's estimated population of kangaroos to be killed and these permits are being granted without even an inspection being carried out on the DMP Applicants property. This is consistant with the Qld Governments policy of reducing red tape. EHP made a number of significant improvements to the DMP process in 2014 that GREATLY ENHANCED LANDHOLDERS’ ABILITY TO MANAGE MACROPODS. In 2016 a formal complaint was lodged with QLD Environment Minister when it became known that in a 6mth period, DEHP Toowoomba had granted 47 permits at 1000 kangaroos per permit to be killed on a 100,000 acre property in Barcaldine in SW Qld alone. This is 1 property being allowed to kill 47,000 animals and word had it that in fact 52,000 kangaroos were killed and that pouches were not even checked for live young as the job was so massive. This would have caused complete decimation/extinction of localized mobs that lived on that property. In QLD there are 22 harvest zones and all but 79,981km2 (which is National Parks,Cape York Peninsula & South East corner of Qld) is allowed to be harvested. When counting is done by aerial surveys EHP will fly over these exclusion zones and include kangaroos found in these ‘Safe’ zones so that if they do venture out from the Reserves, they are no longer protected from shooting. Qld 2015 Annual Report still note they rely upon 90% breeding success with 5% mortality rate instead of the 10-13% breeding capability/yr with a 75% juvenile mortality rate and this mortality rate will reach 100% in times of drought where breeding will cease altogether as well. Many scientists who are recognized within the Annual Reports have found that 10-13% breeding capacity were their findings after a life time of working with kangaroos. The 2017 Quota submission state that QLD has been in drought for the last 3 years & that evidence of significant disease mortalities have been recorded for macropod populations in QLD during 2016. So NO breeding, HIGH mortality rate and STILL a quota has been set for 3,285,600 to be killed in 2017. Offences are being committed in every State of Australia, for Body Shots, non-reporting of what kangaroos have been shot so the Dept. Know whether to stop shooting or not. Visual inspection of 1.79% & detailed sample inspections of 11.77% in 2015 found 68 infringements in QLD. 29 offences WA, 66 in NSW with an additional 3 instances on non-head shot and chillers in NSW who had been closed for a considerable period of time were not checked at all to ensure no activity was in fact in progress. These are the offences found with a target of 1% visual inspections & 10% detailed inspections being carried out. Multiply that across the entire industry and it once again confirms that there is NO POLICING OF THIS INDUSTRY AT POINT OF KILL. At foot joeys who flee into the bush after their mother has been shot – how many are found or even looked for by shooters and how many perish as a result of this inaction. In Victoria the government have extended the pet food trials for yet another 2 years even before they had the findings of the impact the incomplete first 2yr trial had caused to the kangaroo population. A count of kangaroos in Victoria has never been done covering the entire state and only half of the state was counted in 1982, so they do not even know how many kangaroos live in Victoria and yet 30,000 kangaroos have been getting killed in Victoria since 1981 up to 2011 where the figure then rose in 2011 and once the pet food trials commenced this figure was inflated to 70,000 and by the end of 2015 this figure had exceeded 130,000 Before the first 2yr trial period had ended, they instigated the trials should continue for a further 2yrs and that 3 Local Government Areas (LGA) should be added to the 12 existing LGA. These 15 LGA now take up ½ of the entire state of Victoria in the rural areas. The Commonwealth Government require Quota submissions to be in by 30th November each year so that shooting can begin on January 1. Annual Reports are not released until March of the next year as the shooting is still taking place until 31st December and then paperwork needs to be processed that is received from Shooters & Processors to finish off the current years shooting. This is NOT management of our wildlife. WA closed down the Commercial Harvest (CH) in May 2016 as 422 shooters were not able to find anymore than 20-30 kangaroos a night. NSW 2015 Report shows of a 2,701,593 quota only 355,824 kangaroos were shot and 92% were males. QLD 2015 Report shows of 4,090,100 quota 1,061,009 kangaroos were shot and 96% were males. QLD 2017 Quota submission whilst EHP have proposed a quota of 3.2 million can only confirm how many kangaroos were killed in 2015 as 2016 is still not completed at time of submitting this years quota figure. Again – inadequate management. This is happening across Australia. To enable Kanga Watch Inc. to be able carry out these independent surveys using drones, if you are in a position yourself or know of someone who is able to assist us financially so that a drone can be purchased, we would be most grateful. You can visit us on www.kangawatch.com.au and also follow us on Facebook. Donations can be made directly to our website. Thank you for taking the time to read this article.