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Victorian MP calls for open season on kangaroos
KATH SULLIVAN
THE WEEKLY TIMES
AUGUST 26, 2015 12:00AM

KANGAROOS would be hunted and killed by recreational shooters under a plan by a Victorian MP.

Shooters and Fishers MP Daniel Young suggested Victoria introduce an open season when kangaroos could be hunted like other game species to control kangaroo numbers.

Mr Young said he had met several local councils in his Northern Victoria electorate about road safety concerns.

He knew of a recent road fatality possibly linked to a driver swerving to miss a kangaroo.

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In parliament last week Mr Young asked, “Why is there not an open season for kangaroos, with the same regulations and rules any other game species has, in which we would be allowed to hunt kangaroos for a certain period of the year?”

“They are a great source of meat and a great source of protein.”

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An open season on kangaroos was only one option canvassed by Mr Young.

He also recommended extending a pet food trial across Victoria in which kangaroos killed in certain parts of the state could be sold to knackeries for pet food.

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“Under the current scheme when a kangaroo is culled it must be left on the ground. We think this is a dreadful waste,” Mr Young said.

A spokeswoman for Environment Minister Lisa Neville said the Government “hadn’t received any evidence to show an increase (in the kangaroo numbers) but is always happy to work with community and stakeholders when presented with anecdotal evidence”.

Greens leader Greg Barber said an open season would turn neighbours against each other.

The RSPCA said if effective management plans were put in place, “there should not be a need for culling”.