Co-Production Of Livestock And Kangaroos: A Review Of Impediments And Opportunities To Collaborative Regional Management Of Wildlife Resources

Abstract

Kangaroos have long competed with pastoral production systems on the rangelands. By cooperating across property boundaries, landholders should be able to manage the kangaroo component of total grazing pressure and convert a liability into an asset. They could earn income from kangaroos and collect carbon and biodiversity credits. Doing so would follow overseas precedents of private proprietorship of wildlife and co-production alongside conventional livestock. This paper reviews trials of integrated regional management of wildlife. It compares the value of cattle, sheep and goats to more than 40 million kangaroos on pastoral lands. It proposes further investment in plant and equipment to improve the ability of harvesters to supply higher quality more valuable products and so bring benefit to producers. It advocates greater clarity of objectives for kangaroo populations, alternative legal and management structures, devolved responsibility, stronger coordinated leadership and involvement of corporate agriculture and Indigenous land agencies. It recommends research to measure the impacts of differing densities of kangaroos and livestock, and to monitor the costs, efficiencies and profits that create incentives.