In the Queens Birthday Announcement on 14th June 2021 George WIlson was made a Member of the Order of Australia for “Ssignificant service to wildlife conservation, to veterinary science, and to the community.”

The full citation is at https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/2009064

John Read and George Wilson have had published a piece in The Conversation about the US Kangaroo Protection Bill.
It argues that weakening the kangaroo industry will result in more kangaroo suffering, not less. If the Bill succeeds, it would further suppress global demand for kangaroo products, and allow unregulated, uncontrolled and unmonitored killing by amateur hunters to flourish.

We welcome the Australian government’s opposition to the bill. Regardless of whether the bill succeeds, a broader question remains: what should Australia’s

AWS has been has commissioned to prepare a discussion paper on options for reducing the waste of kangaroos taken under the ACT’s kangaroo management program which has two parts:

1. Conservation culling of kangaroos on public lands and
2. Damage mitigation culling on rural lands in the ACT.

Some people regard any consumptive use of kangaroos as unethical and distasteful; they may also oppose it on cultural grounds. While considering these perspectives, we are mindful that sound evidence-based policy

QUARANTINE ZONES ARE SPLITTING COMMUNITIES NEEDLESSLY.

Biosecurity responsibilities and quarantine hotels

Quarantine boundaries, such as those imposed for Covid-19, should be based on communities of interest and economic cohesion rather than State borders.  The Commonwealth should accept the responsibility for quarantine which the Constitution says it has and then work with the states to implement emergency response powers and so avoid current border wars.

Across the nation there are too many chiefs, resulting in mixed health protection messages and

Improving kangaroo management, reducing waste and better welfare

The National Statement on Kangaroo Management arose from symposia in 2019 at the Australian Rangeland Society
and the Ecological Society of Australia Conferences. The context and supporting references for this statement are presented in a special edition of Ecological Management & Restoration. A copy can be downloaded at the link National Kangaroo Statement . Page one Page two The authors seek its endorsement and support.

The NSW Kangaroo

The Federal Government has announced $50m funding for an Emergency Wildlife and Habitat Recovery Package in response to fires. Conservation-based zoos are expected to play a major role in the recovery challenge with in-house specialist veterinary and husbandry expertise, and critical care facilities such as those at the Taronga Wildlife Hospital.

In some parts of the world, price incentives, proprietorship and devolved responsibility for management, accompanied by effective regulation, have increased wildlife and protected habitats, particularly for iconic and valuable

National collaboration and action is urgently required to reform kangaroo management.

Kangaroo numbers are declining due to drought and millions are starving. This is an animal welfare disaster and an unacceptable national disgrace according to participants at symposiums at the Australian Rangelands Society Conference and at the Ecological Society Conference in 2019. They produced the statement below which was drafted by ecologists and is endorsed by professional societies and organisations.

The situation is also aggravating the impacts of

Corporate Australia was well represented with 75 sponsors among the 600 plus attendees. They included BHP, QANTAS, ANZ, Westpac, Mac Bank, Comm Bank, GHD, EY, Orica, Woodside, Origin Energy, BP, Shell, NAPCO, Aboriginal, and Maori Carbon Funds plus some very big investment houses and banking divisions. One, AllianceBernstein has $1 trillion under management and is looking for good projects . Others