Question Without Notice No. 725 asked in the Legislative Council on 31 October 2017 by Hon Robin Chapple
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
KANGAROO POPULATION — MANAGEMENT
725. Hon ROBIN CHAPPLE to the Minister for Environment:
I refer to the Yule River bush meeting of 21 September 2017, the concern of traditional owners in the region about the availability of kangaroos and the answer to question without notice 1313 asked of the Minister for Environment on Tuesday, 15 November 2016.
(1) Given that Aboriginal people have expressed serious concerns about the availability of kangaroos in the Pilbara, will the minister order an urgent review of the take quotas of professional kangaroo harvesters?
(2) If no to (1), why not?
(3) If yes to (1), when?
(4) Will the minister suspend current kangaroo harvesting licences in the Pilbara region until there has been a review of the sustainability of the harvesting quotas?
(5) If no to (4), why not?
(6) If yes to (4), when?
Hon STEPHEN DAWSON replied:
I thank the honourable member for some notice of the question.
(1) No.
(2) Under the management plan for the commercial harvest of kangaroos in Western Australia 2014–18, aerial surveys are undertaken over the range of the kangaroo population subject to commercial harvesting in Western Australia. Kangaroo population estimates from these surveys are used to determine conservative harvest quotas, which are endorsed by the commonwealth government. The 2016 aerial survey undertaken in the northern monitoring zone, which incorporates the Pilbara management area, indicated that kangaroo numbers have increased over the past five years. Three shooters are currently licensed to operate commercially in the Pilbara management area, and only one has been active recently, taking 64 animals from the Pilbara management area this calendar year. It is considered unlikely that professional shooters operating for commercial purposes are operating unsustainably and that the industry is causing a decline in local access to kangaroos for traditional food. However, as part of standard processes, harvest quotas will be assessed in 2018 in the lead-up to a new commercial harvest management plan that will be implemented from 2019. There may also be perceived declines in local areas due to environmental variables such as the good seasons of relatively high rainfall experienced in the Pilbara, which would result in greater dispersal of kangaroos across the region.
(3) Not applicable.
(4) No.
(5) Refer to (2).
(6) Not applicable.