Campaign details and updates.

Update:-

The campaign is now on it's way through the EU process and we have at present over 15,000 signatures from supporters from 26 of the 27 EU Countries and we ask more to join in.

News is travelling across the world of the plight of our baby kangaroo's and citizens from 54 Non EU countries along with those from 45 of the 52 states of America have pledged their support for this ban to save the lives of some 440,000 baby kangaroo's from a horrible death.  Over the coming months we will offer you sample correspondence to send to MEPs, politicians and media editors, and everything you need to know about how you and your friends can help to bring this ban in across the whole of the EU and make it become law.  

Please join in with this very important campaign and sign the petition.  The more that sign the more this ban will come in.

INFORMATION:-

The campaign is called: 440,000 reasons not to eat kangaroo meat... 

The campaign relates to the fact that some 440,000 baby kangaroo's (young at foot) die each year as a result of being the by-product of killing 3-4 million kangaroos per year in Australia.

Between 1991 and 2009 some 55,884,682 kangaroos have been killed for their meat or skin.  Skins going mainly to make sports footwear.

Over the same period estimates show that about 21 million were female who on a low estimate of 25%, would have young-at-foot.  This equates to some 5 million baby kangaroos (young at foot) being left by the industry to face a cruel and inhumane death. For every female kangaroo killed, three generations are wiped out: mother kangaroo, in-pouch baby kangaroo and young at foot.

Every minute 6 kangaroos are shot! - Every 30 sec a baby kangaroo dies! 

Imagine this – 

 You are tucked up nice and safe in mum's little pouch without a care in the world.  You can feel that your mum has stood still and is frightened by something.  Suddenly without warning   "BANG" and you feel yourself falling, hitting the ground with a thud.  

What's happened, why has mum fallen onto the ground?  Seconds later you have the answer as a rough hand reaches into your world and drags you out into the night air where you see your mum, the love of your short life, in a pool of her own blood. Your older sibling escapes into the bush. You will never see him/her again.  The rest of this real scene is too brutal to write about!

Every year these 440,000 baby kangaroo's (young at foot) flee in terror, after the mother is shot, to face certain death from starvation, predation and psychic deprivation (denied mother's love and education from her about how to be a kangaroo, about foods to eat , how to listen for danger etc ).  An equal number of in-pouch baby kangaroo's who are ripped from the shot mothers pouch and have their heads bashed in or decapitated.  To the kangaroo killing industry the baby kangaroo's are just a "by-product" and as such are of no commercial value.

All this in the name of economic value to the tune of some $250 Million dollars per year that the Industry claims to generate (in reality it is much less). Russia was the biggest importer of Kangaroo meat (70%) until for health reasons and poor quality meat (allegedly - E coli and Salmonella were found) it placed a full ban on all future imports.  This took full effect on 1 August 2009.

MEP, Arlene McCarthy, who was responsible for the banning of seal products this year, has already pledged her support for the ban.(See others on supporters page)

Organisations, VIVA, Sea Shepherd, World League for the Protection of Animals, have already made their commitment to support this campaign along with those from TV, Stage and screen. (See Supporters page)

Campaign Objectives:

To call on the Member States of the European Union:

- To support and endorse a TOTAL European Union ban on the trade in all products derived from the commercial slaughter of kangaroos;

-To urge the EU to adopt an unconditional prohibition on the imports of kangaroo products without exception and loopholes;

-To urge the elected members to vote to ban ALL kangaroo products from the EU.

By helping us to achieve the above objectives you will save every year the lives of some 440,000 joeys at foot.

So far over 15,000 people have signed the petition in support of campaign but we need much more (the seal campaign had over 300,000) so we have a way to go yet.  It is vital that we get as many people to sign up as possible.

Populations of kangaroos are crashing and in-particularly those of Eastern Greys which have dropped by over 65% in the last seven years. With continued drought, illegal killings, road kill and the millions of kangaroos shot every year under licence, these sentient of beings have no chance of survival.

On the road to extinction … it could be wondered what the world will do when these native animals who are the most iconic and well known of symbols, second only to the statue of Liberty in America, are only found in Zoos!

As the saying goes, “When they are gone, they are gone!”

We have a chance to stop this trade and help these beautiful, family oriented, sentient, caring creatures by supporting the call for a full and total ban of all kangaroo products in the EU. With this ban, and your help, the kangaroos and their babies have a chance to survive.