Russia

The Kangaroo Industry and Ag Force, with the full support of the federal and Queensland government, continues to pressure Russia to reopen its kangaroo import trade. Russia suspended the importation of kangaroo meat two years ago after high levels of pathogenic bacteria were discovered in the kangaroo meat destined for Russian sausage machines.

he closure of the Russian market has led to an ongoing barrage of media reports from the kangaroo industry and it's associates desperately trying to gain government and public support for it's dirty and dying industry. These media reports have echoed industry claims that kangaroo populations are 'exploding out of control' after the floods and 'wreaking havoc' on agriculture and the environment in Queensland. The kangaroo industry is demanding that the government step in and reinstate the Russian import market so that agriculture and the environment will be saved from these 'booming' kangaroo populations.

However ASK challenged these claims on the basis that the catastrophic floods in Queensland would have been more likely to devastate kangaroos from starvation, drownings and post flood die off disease which has caused large scale kangaroo losses throughout history after flood.

Then in a disturbing twist, the Queensland government released it's 2011 kangaroo population data in it's “2012 Quota Submission Report for Commercially Harvested Macropods in Queensland”, claiming that kangaroos had increased dramatically in Queensland and consequently it's kill quotas for 2012 would increase by a whopping 70% to 3 million kangaroos . However these population figures are very suspicious, recording statistically and physiologically impossible increases in kangaroo densities of 100%, 200% and 300% in some regions across Queensland. These increases are biologically impossible for kangaroos who can only have one joey per year.

We believe that these implausible increases maybe linked to recent pressure coming from the kangaroo industry and it's associated organisations such as AgForce, and that the Queensland government has manipulated the data to suit the to suit the political and commercial agendas of the failing kangaroo industry and the potential reopening of the Russian export market. What is also disturbing is that the data shows that Wallaroos have completely disappeared from three regions in Queensland, and all species including Reds, Eastern Greys and Wallaroos are at critical densities of less than five kangaroos per square kilometre across most of Queensland, which is less than five kangaroos per 200 football fields. If the 2012 quotas of 3 million kangaroos are fulfilled by the kangaroo industry we could see the decimation of kangaroos across Queensland.

We have asked the Queensland Opposition Environment leader and the Federal Environment Minister to conduct an immediate inquiry into these suspicious results and sent out a media release in an effort to alert the Australian public. Please read our media release here for more on this disturbing matter.

YOU CAN TAKE ACTION NOW TO STOP THE REOPENING OF THE RUSSIAN KANGAROO MEAT EXPORT MARKET

TELL OUR PM OUR ENVIRONMENT MINISTER AND THE RUSSIAN REPRESENTATIVES THAT YOU DON'T WANT OUR KANGAROOS ENDING UP IN RUSSIAN  SAUSAGE MACHINES and that the data being presented by the Queesland government is very suspicious, that kangaroos are already at critical densities across most of Australia and that kangaroo tourism is worth more to Australians ($2-5 billion annually) than the kangaroo industry.

Russian Ambassador to Australia

Vladimir Morozov
Russian Embassy in Canberra
7 Canberra Avenue
Griffiths ACT 2603
PH 02 6295 9033
E: rusembassy.australia@rambler.ru

Prime Minister Julia Gillard
http://www.pm.gov.au/contact-your-pm

Tony Burke MP
Minister for Environment
http://www.tonyburke.com.au/get-in-touch/