An overview of the Queensland macropod monitoring programme

Four species of macropods are commercially harvested in Queensland, red kangaroos, eastern grey kangaroos, common wallaroos and whiptail wallabies, under the control of the Nature Conservation (Macropod Harvesting) Conservation Plan 1994. Queensland's harvest represents the major portion of the national total, ranging from 55 to 68% for the period 1984 to 1992. Since the introduction of quotas in 1975, systems have been in place to monitor population trends, the size and distribution of both the commercial and non-commercial harvest, non-harvest mortality and reports of damage to primary production. These data provide the basis for monitoring both the population status of each of the commercial macropod species and any effects of harvesting. Direct monitoring in Queensland has involved aerial surveys, using both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, and ground surveys, both on foot and using vehicles. Indirect monitoring is achieved through the determination and analysis of harvest parameters including sex ratio, average carcass weights, skin sizes and total numbers harvested. This information is obtained from returns provided by shooters and dealers. Funding derived from a levy applied on the tags provided to shooters is used to develop and refine the techniques to monitor and manage macropod harvesting in Queensland.