The sale of kangaroo meat is set to be banned from all council-owned buildings in Wolverhampton after the trade was labelled as “cruel” and “unsustainable”.
The ban, expected to be approved next week by the city council, has been prompted by worldwide concern that the kangaroo population is plummeting because of demand for the food.
A temporary ban on the sale of kangaroo meat has already been put in place for the current Continental Market in Dudley Street, with the permanent ban to affect all-year round market stalls and other council-owned buildings. Pubs like the Walkabout in Queen Street will still be free to sell it, although it has been urged to join the campaign by having a self-imposed ban.
Councillor Malcolm Gwinnett, Liberal Democrat for Spring Vale, said: “We don’t want to see it for sale in Wolverhampton anywhere, because these animals being clubbed to death is inhumane.
“The meat is detrimental to people’s health and it’s not a quality meat anyway. We don’t want to see the kangaroo suffer and do not want to see it for sale in Wolverhampton.
“This ban will be on all council-owned property. It’s not political, it’s about protecting the kangaroo and the environment.”
A spokesman for Walkabout said: “We haven’t considered not selling it. The kangaroo meat we sell is from South Africa anyway.”
A motion to confirm the ban will be raised by the Liberal Democrats at a full council meeting next Wednesday, and is expected to have all-party support.
Kangaroos are not farmed, but shot in the outback of Australia away from the scrutiny of the public. Their population has dropped in recent years due to a drought and the demand for kangaroo meat and skin. Official figures from the Australian Government show the numbers of Easter Greys have dropped 63 per cent, Red Kangaroos have dropped 55 per cent and Wallaroos 50 per cent in the last four years.
The city council has blamed the export of kangaroo meat to Europe as one of the driving forces behind the industry.
Exotic meat is becoming increasingly popular with butchers shops, pubs and restaurants around the region.
Recently Sian Thomas, chef at the Cross Guns in Codsall Wood, near Wolverhampton, included such delicacies as zebra steak, braised python and crocodile and kangaroo on the menu.
8 Comments
I don’t know where Wolverhampton Councilors are getting their information from, but they’re full of s#$%. I live in Australia and Kangaroo numbers were estimated in 2002 to be over 56million. More than twice as many as the population of the country. They are still rising and a cull is being considered in the Canberra area, of 50000. They also are not clubbed to death as stated. But are only allowed to be culled by licensed shooters, with a special permit and training in the culling of roos.
The roo population continues to rise due to the farming and the availability of water from the farms for the roo.
Get your facts right E&S, before printing duff stories from do gooder councilors.
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“Not a quality meat”?
Would it improve if used in faggots?
It is heartening to find yet another area in which our local lib dems are self appointed experts.
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Its got nothing to do with the fact that they are classed as a pest in some area’s of OZ and, therefore, are shot has it???.
Councillor Malcolm Gwinnett should check his facts before trying to justify the kangaroo population is plummeting because of demand for exotic food.
Clubbed to death? your ignorance baffles me.
Are the council going to stop eating fish and other meat as well?
Got to go. A Kangaroo has just wondered into my backyard. Where’s that club…
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YEs these facts about this cruel and unrelenting industry but unfortunately the kangaroo industry is so powerful it often brainwashes people into thinking the killing is sustainable and humane.
Thank you so much UK for banning this cruel industry. We need all the help we can get to stop it before its too late for our precious icon.
It is important to also boycott the leather part of the industry which includes Puma, Adidas, Nike and Reebok. The leather component of the industry is worth more to the industry and if people stopped buying these shoes the industry could really be on its knees and our kangaroos might have a chance to recover.
Kind regards and thanks for your great article expressandstar.com
Australian Society for Kangaroos
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Well Adam Morris. I live in Canberra and I think you should check your facts:
1 The ACT Government was planing a cull of 500, not 50,000. They are now looking at alternatives to this cruel and barbaric slaughter and hopefully the slaughter will not go ahead.
2 The figures you quote from 2002 are pre drought and have nothing to do with the reality of falling kangaroo numbers in 2007.
3 Yes, the in pouch Joeys are clubbed to death and the out of pouch Joeys (up to 18 months) usually die a slow death of starvation or predation as they can not survive after their mothers have been shot.
There is no excuse for cruelty.
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Bernard of Canberra, a slip of the keyboard on my part. But one on yours as well perhaps. The cull figure was 5000 not 500. The cull figures were quoted in May 2007 and were for culling on the outskirts of Canberra at Military bases, where the Kangaroo population is the densest ever recorded at 1100 per sq mile.
The increasing numbers of Eastern Grey Kangaroos in these areas, threaten the existence of other creatures such as the Grassland Earless Dragon and Striped Legless Lizard, to name but two.
In western Queensland the rise of the Roo population has been of recent discussion as a threat to the biodiversity of the timbered areas.
In SA the Western Grey and Red numbers are stable at around 1.2million, even through the drought. But it is the fast breeding Eastern Grey that is the problem.
The licensed Kangaroo harvesters have to undergo rigorous assessment and accreditation by two government departments and a report by the RSPCA into the harvesting of the Kangaroo stated that 96% of the kills were humane and instant.
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Adam your facts are just plainly wrong. As only large adults are killed the genetic stock of these animals is getting weaker. This hads consequences for the survival of the species. Anyone who looks at the facts knows that kangaroos naturally reduce their numbers during drought by withholding growth of joeys in the pouch. I coiuld send other commentators a video of how the JOEYS are often clubbed to death are left to starve.
Kangaroo numbers are dwindling and Wolves council is to be applauded for taking a bold and caring step in drawing attention to the world’s biggest wildlife slaughter. FACT!
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For god’s sake they are animals and thus should be available for human consumption if the humans make this choice. I think we should knock a few of the councillors on the head and compare their meat to the kangaroos. I like it and eat it as a tasty, healthy alternative to lean beef and lamb. it tastes best with garlic and parsley lightly sauted. enjoy the gifts god gave us. Cheers
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