There's nothing like Australia promoting its iconic kangaroo when it is slaughtered by the thousands
What immoral hypocrisy we have in Australian Government when one department legitimises mass kangaroo slaughter as a 'kangaroo industry' and promotes 'kangaroo harvesting', while another department promotes the kangaroo as its 'hopping icon.'
Tourism Australia's latest marketing campaign claims to be based on the 'core truth'.
Well how can it be truthful? Tourism Australia needs to drop the kangaroo logo from its advertising while the slaughter continues or else drop its core truth campaign.
Kangaroos are indeed what is 'unique and special' about Australia. It is immoral to slaughter wildlife. It is hypocritical to promote wildlife values while also promoting its slaughter.
One arm of Australian Government condones kangaroo mass slaughter
What immoral hypocrisy when one arm of the Australian Government (Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry) legitimises kangaroos wildlife slaughter as a 'kangaroo industry' and promotes 'kangaroo harvesting' on the backward colonial excuse that it 'provides jobs'. The Department claims this wildlife trade provides "over 4000 jobs mostly in rural and remote areas."
It claims "of the kangaroos that it allows to be slaughtered 60% of kangaroos are sold as pet meat "mostly for the domestic market." The remainder is exported for human consumption earning $27 million and 30% of kangaroo skins are used domestically with the rest exported as hide, skin and leather worth around $22 million."
The Australian Department of Foreign and Affairs and Trade) likewise advocates kangaroo commercial slaughter, which it euphemistically labels as 'harvesting.' It immorally tries to justify this wildlife slaughter as "due to the introduction of European farming methods." It boasts that "today kangaroo meat and skins are exported all over the world"..the meat exported "to more than 55 countries." - mainly the European Union and Russian markets. As for Kangaroo skins it argues ..."it is ideal for use in the manufacture of high-quality leather goods, including footwear. Because of kangaroo leather’s high tensile strength, it is also suitable for the manufacture of sporting footwear.
Another arm of Australian Government promotes the kangaroo as its 'hopping icon'
Meanwhile, another arm of our Federal Government (Tourism Australia) has the tenacity to adopt the kangaroo as its logo for its national tourism campaign and refer to the kangaroo as 'a hopping icon'?
Tourism Australia's corporate marketing brochure boasts the new campaign is "based on the 'core truth' ...that people travel to experience difference" and so the campaign’s advertising is focused on what is unique and special about Australia.
The campaign research found that the Australian tourism industry said to "show the icons, show the animals, make it fun and friendly."
Australia's tourism industry said 'show the animals, make it fun and friendly'
'Core Truth' campaign under scrutiny
But how can we show Australian animals and at the same time condone killing them by the thousands?
How can the kangaroo be an icon for Tourism Australia when 100 of them were slaughtered under approval by the Department of Environment and Conservation on 5th May 2010 at Preston Beach Golf Club near Mandurah, Western Australia to make way for a golf course development?
A kangaroo joey decapitated by authorities to make way for Prestons Golf Club, Perth
How can the kangaroo be an icon for Tourism Australia when 4000 of them were slaughtered at Belconnen and Majura, near Canberra in 2009 to make way or housing development?
Part of the Fitzgibbon Massacre at Majura and Belconnen outside Canberra 19th May 2009
Australian Tourism can't have its icon and eat it!...not if it is beholden to the 'core truth'.
Tiger Quoll
Snowy River 3885
Australia
Kangaroos grazing at Majura outside Canberra before the mass slaughter
Further Reading
Agforce calling for juvenile kangaroos on the menu
Yet another kangaroo cruelty case
Kangaroo Meat - confessions of a wildlife serial killer
The Kangaroo Industry: Weapon of Choice
Tourism Australia's tormented kangaroo exhibit in Beverley Hills
Dame Judi Dench stands up for kangaroos - UK and EU
Kangaroo Meat Export - ban it and follow the European Parliament's lead on fur seal products!
New Sustainability report criticises kangaroo culling in ACT - says kangaroos protect land from fire
National Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos and Wallabies for Commercial Purposes
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