Do you want to know more about the arguments against eating native Australian wildlife? Then read our informative and factual guide…
There are several arguments against eating native Australian wildlife and while most people find it most unsavory to put a dollar value on the life of Australian wildlife others have developed quite a penchant for eating them. One of the primary arguments against eating native Australian wildlife is of course posted by animal lovers who believe that animals should not be destroyed to satiate human appetite.
However; these arguments against eating native Australian wildlife have certainly not stopped the ballooning growth of the kangaroo industry (that includes the meat and skin of the animal for human consumption) to an annual worth of $200 million. Similarly, plant based bushfeed industry has also grown rapidly from its 1996 value of $14 million.
Many native Australian wildlife are also popular as pets and reptile enthusiasts are known to shell out as much as $5000 for a single live green tree python; while it is not surprising to see overseas bird enthusiasts coughing up as much as $9000 for a red tailed black cockatoo. The wildflower industry has seen a similar growth and today it’s estimated at $50 million.
And there’s more to it than food. Many Australian animals are popular as pets – reptile enthusiasts have been known to fork out more than $5000 for a single live green tree python, while overseas bird-keepers hardly squawk while paying $9000 for a red-tailed black cockatoo.
The recent increase in the commercial activity in association with Australian wildlife has sparked many arguments against eating native Australian wildlife and people wonder if this will help in the conservation efforts or derail the survival of the species. The arguments against eating native Australian wildlife state that there are well defined conservation risks against a very small potential for benefit in the commercial use of wildlife. A heated debate has been raging for some time among scientist, government departments, conservationists and animal welfare lobbies.
Some of the arguments against eating native Australian wildlife state that the overuse of wild species in the form of wildlife harvesting and ranching may lead to the eventual decline and extinction of the species. Several examples have been cited to prove the veracity of these arguments such as the over fishing that led to the eventual decline in the number of orange roughy and abalone, while the toolache wallaby was also hunted to extinction. As a matter of fact an astounding 500 species of animals have been hunted to extinction in the last 400 years.
