AFTER months of recruitment, a new statewide kangaroo partnership coordinator has been named for SA, funded through the Landscapes Priority Fund.
From Monday, Georgina Shirley, of Sevenseas Creative, will take on the role.
She has a Bachelor of Environmental Management, is from an agricultural background and has a professional history in communications, engagement, community development and facilitation.
SA Arid Lands Landscape Board general manager Jodie Gregg-Smith said the project would benefit from the extensive history of Sevenseas Creative directors Andrea Broadfoot and Jack Ritchie in working on stakeholder engagement and community campaigns about complex issues alongside regional and rural communities, and in particular First Nations partners.
"Given the deep understanding of community engagement principles and cut through communications the new suppliers bring to the project, the SAALLB as project lead, is confident in the future success of the partnership," she said.
"This will now lead to the development of a formal partnership model with a range of sector stakeholders including the kangaroo industry, PIRSA, Department of Environment and Water, environmental non-government organisations, traditional owners, Livestock SA and landholders, including pastoralists."
Ms Gregg-Smith said the development of a new Agriculture Kangaroo Taskforce, led by PIRSA, would align closely with the SAALB Kangaroo Partnership Project, ensuring all stakeholders have a means of engaging with potential solutions to the overabundance of kangaroos, while considering critical social, cultural, environmental and market factors in their management.
It is very cheap protein comparative to everything else, but if there is an increase in demand naturally, everything will fall into place.
- CHAD COWIN
Kangaroo management activities in SA are going full steam ahead to halt increasing populations.
Conservation and Wildlife, National Parks and Wildlife Service director Lisien Loan said the 2020 statewide population estimate was 2.8 million, with the 2021 kangaroo survey report yet to be finalised.
"Between January 1 and August 31, just under 68,000 kangaroos were harvested," she said.
"There are currently 66 active kangaroo field processors, an increase (from 54) since June 2020, which coincided with the expansion of the commercial harvest area."
Ms Loan said the Department of Environment and Water had implemented significant reform in recent years to support improved kangaroo management, looking at improved human and animal welfare, conservation, sustainability and reduced food waste.
"SA has close working relationships with our interstate and commonwealth counterparts involved in kangaroo management and readily share information and discuss potential solutions to challenges encountered with kangaroo management," she said.
"The department requires all kangaroos to be harvested in accordance to the National Code of Practice for the Humane Shooting of Kangaroos and Wallabies for Commercial Purposes.
"The department conducts regular inspections of carcases in field chillers and at meat processing works to ensure that legislation is being adhered to by the kangaroo industry."
Kangaroo Management Reference Group field processor Chad Cowin said commercial shooters were highly governed and regulated, so the best solution to preventing overpopulation was to commercially harvest as many as possible.
"But I am not for the open slather of culling of kangaroos," he said.
"It's not management, it's not ethical, and it's not a solution."
Mr Cowin said kangaroo numbers as a whole across SA were within a manageable number.
"It is not like we are suffering with drought and the roo numbers are at their peak," he said.
"We are in a pretty comfortable position at the moment and certainly doing a fair bit to set ourselves up for in the future of the boom bust cycles and all the rest.
"We are getting freed up, we can work in more places than we could in the past, it is encouraging and the conversations are being had."
Mr Cowin said the management boards were headed in the right direction, but could always do more.
"Unfortunately I don't know too much about the marketing side of things, but kangaroo meat should be marketed to make it more appealing to consumers," he said.
"It is very cheap protein comparative to everything else, but if there is an increase in demand naturally, everything will fall into place.
"Professors of the universities are recognising we are a viable solution to upcoming problems as well.
"It is not all doom and gloom at the minute."
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Kiara Stacey
Journalist for Stock Journal. Kiara was in classified sales at Stock Journal before joining the editorial team in 2021. Kiara completed a Bachelor of Communication (journalism) at Deakin University the year prior.
Journalist for Stock Journal. Kiara was in classified sales at Stock Journal before joining the editorial team in 2021. Kiara completed a Bachelor of Communication (journalism) at Deakin University the year prior.
