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Indicator: BD-23 Some selected nationally significant native terrestrial species subjected to harvesting and population trends

Data

The 2001 State of the Environment (SoE) Biodiversity theme report provided a significant amount of information on wildlife harvesting and the economic value of species and ecosystems.

The harvesting of native flora and fauna for domestic and export purposes is controlled by various legislation in each State and Territory.

The Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 regulates the commercial export of most wild harvested native plants and animals (including their products) from Australia. The Act also bans the export for commercial purposes of live native vertebrate animals, except fish. Wild harvested specimens may be harvested after the appropriate permits have been obtained under a management program.

A significant number of species used for trading are protected under national legislation through approved management plans

Approved wildlife trade management plans that are currently approved under the EPBC Act

State	Program Name	Species	Approval Period
			From	To
New South Wales	Kangaroo	Macropus rufus Macropus fuliginosus Macropus giganteus Macropus robustus robustus	1 January 2002	31 December 2006
	Protected and Threatened Plants in the Cut Flower Industry: Management Plan 2002-2005		23 August 2002	30 June 2005
Northern Territory	Management Program for Crocodylus porosus and Crocodylus johnstoni in the Northern Territory of Australia (1999)	Crocodylus porosus Crocodylus johnstoni	1 January 2004	Approval of a revised plan
Queensland	Wildlife Trade Management Plan for Export - Commercially Harvested Macropods	Macropus rufus Macropus fuliginosus Macropus robustus	1 January 2003	31 December 2007
South Australia	The Macropod Conservation and Management Plan for South Australia	Macropus rufus Macropus fuliginosus Macropus robustus	1 January 2003	31 December 2007
Tasmania	Brushtail Possum	Trichosurus vulpecula (Kerr)	1 January 2000	31 December 2004
	Tree-fern	Dicksonia antarctica	19 December 2001	31 December 2004
Victoria	Tree-fern	Dicksonia antarctica Cyathea australis Cyathea cunninghamii Cyathea leichardtiana Todea barbara	19 December 2001	31 December 2004
Western Australia	Red Kangaroo (Macropus rufus) Management Plan for Western Australia	Macropus rufus	1 January 2003	31 December 2007
	Grey Kangaroo (Macropus fuliginosus) Management Plan for Western Australia	Macropus fuliginosus	1 January 2003	31 December 2007
	Western Australia Flora		1 July 2003	30 June 2008

Source: Department of the Environment and Heritage 2005, Approved wildlife trade management plans, viewed 26 Sep 2005, http://www.environment.gov.au/biodiversity/trade-use/sources/management-plans/index.html#plans

Kangaroo harvesting

Kangaroo species that are subject to commercial harvesting are common species. Before approving any management plans that allow for the commercial harvest and export of kangaroos or kangaroo products, the Australian Government considers factors such as kangaroo biology, population size and trends and conservation status of kangaroo species.

At least 25 years of robust population survey data exists. Survey methods vary between and within states depending on the geography of the survey sites, the characteristics of the species and the intensity of the harvest. New South Wales, Western Australia and South Australia predominantly use fixed-wing aerial surveys, with helicopter and ground surveys used in difficult terrain. Queensland mainly relies on helicopter surveys. Survey frequency varies between one and three years.

Commercial kangaroo harvesting in Australia has been sustainable for more than 25 years, covering several drought periods including the 1981-1983 drought. Current management plans incorporate provisions appropriate to the current drought. Kangaroos have the ability to adjust their reproductive cycle very rapidly to changing environmental effects and are uniquely adapted to the highly variable Australian climate.

The scientific community and state management agencies consider that annual harvest levels in the order of 15 per cent of the populations for grey kangaroos and wallaroos, and 20 per cent of red kangaroo populations are sustainable.

Kangaroos killed under commercial harvest quotas 1991- 2003

Year	Macropus rufus (Red Kangaroo)	M. giganteus (Eastern Grey)	M. fuliginosus (Western Grey)	M. robustus (Euro / Wallaroo)	M. parryi (Whiptail Wallaby)	Macropus rufogriseus (Bennetts Wallaby)	Thylogale billardierii (Tasmanian Pademelon	Total
1991	1 365 716	1 270 877	158 213	113 791	4 226			2 912 823
1992	1 308 140	1 183 681	182 814	139 943	2 071			2 816 649
1993	1 319 693	1 273 922	207 397	172 449	2 737			2 976 198
1994	1 425 553	1 328 561	311 504	225 644	1 965			3 293 227
1995	1 435 614	1 306 747	301 405	214 916	1 766			3 260 448
1996	1 447 698	1 066 364	353 650	232 502	909			3 101 123
1997	1 171 300	704 137	264 656	148 803	791			2 289 687
1998	1 344 214	800 707	242 630	204 789	217	149	70	2 592 776
1999	1 278 469	925 946	240 727	152 782	1 279	421	515	2 600 139
2000	1 173 242	1 106 208	227 552	238 439	357	584	20	2 746 402
2001	1 364 682	1 438 280	283 332	296 805	256	6 884	2 020	3 392 259
2002	1 500 588	1 810 426	330 372	257 140	190	4 392	2 169	3 905 277
2003	1 121 724	1 758 173	246 672	347 914	0	0	0	3 474 483
2004	988 203	1 466 325	233 496	304 047	0	0	0	2 992 071
2005	1 045 048	1 487 652	257 422	322 222	0	0	0	3 112 344
2005 Commercial Kangaroo harvest quotas
NSW	445 300	550 820	143 963	35 616	0	0	0	1 175 699
Qld	472 332	1 081 340	0	338 279	0	0	0	1 891 951
SA	237 600	0	97 900	76 400	0	0	0	411 900
WA	250 000	0	180 000	0	0	0	0	430 000
Total	1 405 232	1 632 160	421 863	450 295	0	0	0	3 909 550

Source: Department of the Environment and Heritage 2005, Kangaroo harvesting statistics, viewed 7 Nov 2005, http://www.deh.gov.au/biodiversity/
trade-use/wild-harvest/kangaroo/stats.html

What the data mean

The population size of harvested kangaroos has fluctuated in areas of Australia over the past 25 years, depending on seasonal conditions.

The quota is the maximum number of animals that can be killed and is set independently of industry demand. The number of animals killed during a year rarely amount to the quota as these are directly linked to market demand, and the capacity of the industry to harvest the quota level. State-wide quotas are rarely met although they may be met for a particular zone. Over the last five years (2001-2005), the numbers of kangaroos harvested have been on average 63% of the annual quotas.

Numbers of waterfowl harvested in Queensland have decreased to about a quarter of the number harvested in 1985, although the number has fluctuated considerably over the period.

Data Limitations

The indicator requires populations and trends in abundance and distribution of harvested species.

In the case of the commercially harvested kangaroos there are over 25 years of population and harvest data. Population data is collected through population surveys. Harvest data is compiled from reports submitted by the harvesters and processors and include: numbers killed, sex of animal and carcass weight. The data is used in setting of quotas.

Currently much of the data is not publicly accessible. On a state-wide basis, population data (from 2001), quotas and numbers killed are available on the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Water Resources website.

Issues for which this is an indicator and why

Biodiversity — Utilisation and value of biodiversity - Harvesting and trade in wildlife 

Data on trends in abundance and populations of harvested species would give some indication of whether harvesting is sustainable.

Other indicators for this issue:

• LD-10 Number of compounds from terrestrial sources at some stage of commercial development 
• CO-07 Australian fisheries production - national tonnage and value of retained catch 
• CO-09 Number of compounds from coastal and marine sources at some stage of commercial development 
• CO-16 Status of Australian fisheries 
• CO-17 Change in species and trophic structure of fish species caught 
• CO-19 Estimated tonnage taken by illegal fishing; estimated number of illegal boats, estimated number of individuals of threatened species taken 
• CO-20 Non-target effects: Area of seabeds trawled 
• CO-21 Non-target effects: Number and/or weight taken as bycatch, and change since introduction of exclusion devices 
• CO-32 Number of injuries to marine animals from marine debris 
• CO-62 Estimated number of marine animals harvested by recreational fishers 
• CO-63 Estimated number of marine animals harvested by indigenous fishers 
• CO-65 Correlation between various human activities and introduction of coastal and marine species 
• AAT-19 Annual catch in tonnes of marine species harvested in Australian Antarctic and sub-Antarctic waters - legal and illegal 
• AAT-20 Fishing by-catch numbers and/or weight taken as bycatch 

Land — Contributions of land to human life - Living materials from the land 

Plants and animals both farmed (agriculture) and wild are harvested from the land for human use. Data on these harvesting activities is needed to monitor their contribution to human life.

Other indicators for this issue:

• LD-08 Average tonnage and value of food produced per hectare of land under food production 
• LD-09 Average tonnage and value of other (non-food) agricultural products per hectare of land under production 
• HS-48 Material Flows in Human Settlements 
• LD-19 Land use and land use change 

Further Information

Kangaroo quotas

• General information on the kangaroo harvest
• Kangaroo population estimates
• Kangaroo harvesting statistics
• Is Australian Wildlife Fair Game? 

Changes to this document since December 2006

The text appearing in the section entitled "What the data mean" and "Data Limitations" has been altered to reflect the view of the Department of the Environment and Water Resources that kangaroo population trend data are adequate to conclude that kangaroo harvesting is sustainable. Links have also been added to kangaroo population data by States.

• Previous version of this indicator