New bid to stop killing roos for shoes

US politicians are taking another shot at banning shoes made with kangaroo leather - but the Australian government is fighting back. See what’s at stake.

American politicians are taking another shot at banning shoes made with kangaroo leather after Nike and Puma buckled to animal activists and scrapped using it in its soccer boots.

The Australian government has been fighting back against legislative crackdowns in several US states, based on what it says is the myth that kangaroo harvesting is threatening the iconic native species.

But a bipartisan group of US politicians has now reintroduced their proposed federal ban on the commercial use of kangaroo products, two years after their first effort fell flat.

Nike abandoned using kangaroo leather in March. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Republican congressman Brian Fitzpatrick – who has previously predicted the bill would “pass overwhelmingly” in Congress – said it would ensure “that those who exploit these animals in the United States are held accountable”.

His Democratic colleague Jan Schakowsky added: “Over two million kangaroos are killed for commercial purposes each year. As a staunch animal rights advocate, I believe we owe it to these majestic creatures to protect their welfare.”

But the Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia, backed by the federal government, argues that humane and sustainable harvesting is necessary to conserve kangaroo populations and maintain agricultural land.

Nike abandoned using kangaroo leather in March – shortly after rival shoe giant Puma took similar action – as politicians in the company’s home state of Oregon sought to ban it.

While that bill did not proceed, Australian government officials have also been lobbying against similar moves in New Jersey, Arizona and Connecticut.

The state and federal legislation has been spearheaded by Animal Wellness Action and other animal welfare groups, who recently held protests at Adidas stores in Sydney and New York to force the German apparel giant to follow suit.

In NYC, #AnimalRights activists disrupt business inside of an #adidas store because, unlike Nike and Puma, @adidas continues to pay commercial hunters to chase down terrified wild kangaroos at night and steal their skin to make soccer cleats. #[e-mail]/9cZ1Cvvq7p

— Animal Rights News (@theirturn) July 24, 2023

“In America, we don’t allow this kind of mass commercial slaughter of our native wildlife, and neither should we import wildlife parts and outsource these killing sprees,” Animal Wellness Action president Wayne Pacelle said in a statement.

“The Kangaroo Protection Act will cut off the US market for Australian commercial shooters and global major athletic shoe companies whose supply-and-demand relationship has been driving the slaughter of as many as two million kangaroos a year, including hundreds of thousands of joeys orphaned after their mothers are shot.”

Importing kangaroo products has been illegal in California since 1970 but other states are yet to follow suit.

It was revealed in March that the Australian Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry boss Andrew Metcalfe held talks with US officials to reinforce the “sustainability, quality and welfare standards” in the industry.

“The government is tackling misconceptions that harvesting of kangaroos in Australia is inhumane, noting the importance of sustainable, humane management of kangaroos to prevent ecosystem damage and crop loss,” a department spokeswoman said at the time.