Oregon is the latest state to introduce a bill to criminalize the use of kangaroo parts and products. Although such a harvest is legal in Australia, a proposed federal ban failed in the U.S. House in 2021.
Oregon introduces bill to ban the sale of kangaroo parts
Oregon has become the latest state to introduce a bill into its legislature that would ban the sale of all kangaroo parts for commercial uses.
Kangaroo leather is used in a wide variety of products from sports apparel to soccer cleats, NPR reported. In Oregon, the measure could have an effect on Nike, which is based in the state and is its largest employer.
Bans in other states, federal bill failed to pass in 2021
During the most recent session, lawmakers in Connecticut introduced a similar bill.
California enacted a ban on kangaroo-based products during the 1970s.
On the federal level, legislation to ban kangaroo products was proposed in the House of Representatives in 2021 but failed to be approved.
Products made from kangaroos
One of the most frequent uses of kangaroos is leather. Kangaroo, or K-leather, is lighter, stronger, and more flexible than goat leather or cowhide, Stridewise reports.
Kangaroo leather is used for upholstery, motorcycle jackets and pants, soccer and football cleats, shoes and boots, bags and purses, and whips.
Are kangaroos endangered, and how many are harvested each year?
Kangaroos are not an endangered species, although certain threats do make them vulnerable, according to SeeTheWild.org.
The harvesting of kangaroos for commercial purposes is legal in Australia, where over 1.3 million were killed for the industry in 2021, according to data from the Australia Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment, and Water. The agency said the quantity of kangaroos harvested represents less than one-third of the “sustainable quota,” an amount that could be killed without putting any of the four main kangaroo species at risk, NPR reported.
There are more than 50 species of kangaroos hopping around Australia. That number increases to 70 if nearby New Guinea is included.
On mainland Australia, there are four species of the marsupials that are sustainably harvested, either for their fur or their meat. The species are the eastern grey, western grey, common wallaroo, and the red kangaroo, The Conversation reported. The total population of these four species alone is estimated at roughly 46 million animals.
