Belgian animal welfare organisation calls for ban on kangaroo meat

Belgium is the number one importer of kangaroo meat in Europe, and the country’s animal welfare organisation Gaia is calling for change.

Gaia and a delegation of Aboriginal Australians are asking Flemish and Brussels MPs to ban the marketing of products derived from kangaroo hunting, to coincide with World Kangaroo Day on Thursday.

According to the association, some 80,000 kangaroos are slaughtered every year to supply Belgium.

The indigenous representatives were received at the Flemish parliament earlier this week where they denounced the cruelty of kangaroo hunting and called for a ban on the marketing of products derived from this practice.

“We are here to tell you that the number of kangaroos is declining,” one of the representatives explained.

“We hope that the trade in kangaroo products will stop so that they can continue to exist. We are all part of nature. We are here to give a voice to the kangaroos.”

Gaia described the hunting of kangaroos as the largest massacre of wild land animals in the world, with a hunting quota set at 7.5 million in 2024.

“This hunt takes place at night, and poor visibility makes it difficult to shoot,” the organisation said. “About 40% of kangaroos are not killed immediately.”

The indigenous representatives denounced the Australian government's inaction, saying the government authorises the commercial hunting of several million kangaroos every year, in part to "regulate" the population, which it considers to be "in excess".

Advocates of the cause have also deplored the approximate or even completely underestimated cull figures.

“No one knows how many animals are actually still alive – neither the government nor the kangaroo meat industry,” one campaigner said. “We ask you to be critical and sceptical of the information provided by the Australian government.”

Apart from concerns regarding animal welfare, critics say the trade poses a significant health risk, which is why it has been banned since 2014 in Russia, formerly the world's largest importer.

This industry also has negative effects on the environment, with kangaroos helping to prevent bushfires, and also has "serious cultural repercussions".

“The kangaroo is deeply rooted in our culture,” an indigenous representative said. “This hunting has devastating effects on our spiritual and cultural identity.”

Belgium consumes the meat of nearly 80,000 slaughtered kangaroos each year, representing 280 tonnes of kangaroo meat.

“It’s sold in certain restaurants, but is mainly re-exported after being processed via the port of Antwerp,” Gaia’s director of operations, Sébastien De Jonge, said during the parliamentary session, pointing out that supermarkets have not been selling it since 2020.

While the delegation of indigenous representatives had the opportunity to make their voices heard in Flanders and Brussels, they will not have the opportunity to speak in Wallonia, as the Walloon parliament's animal welfare committee did not follow up their request.

“We are calling for coherent, unified legislation,” said De Jonge. “We invite you to set an example for the other regions and for Europe.”

The delegation will be addressing the European parliament at a later date, “to underline the urgent need for political action in the face of serious violations of animal welfare”, said Gaia.

Photo: Eric Lalmand/Belga