An Economic Perspective to the Population Management of Commercially Harvested Kangaroos.

Abstract

Both overseas and within Australia, the need for a commercial kangaroo industry is being questioned. Some groups believe that the larger kangaroo species presently being culled are under threat of extinction and that the pest status of kangaroos to agriculture is largely a myth. As the commercial kangaroo industry is export oriented, the imposition of import bans by overseas governments would significantly affect the viability of the industry. Also, agricultural producers who believe they bear the costs of maintaining kangaroo population are concerned that damage by kangaroos would become unacceptably high if their numbers were to go unchecked. The aim of this article is to put an economic perspective on the population management of commercially harvested kangaroos. The major groups in conflict are identified, along with their respective preferences regarding the appropriate level of the kangaroo population. The underlying reason for conflict, the common property characteristic of kangaroos, is examined, and an economic framework for reconciling these conflicts through population management presented. The lack of data on kangaroo numbers and the benefits and costs which various population levels have for the various interest groups remain a major impediment to quantifying an economic model for determining optimal population levels. An examination is made of relevant data and a national appraisal of the order of magnitude of kangaroo damages to agriculture is presented.