Kangaroos are a unique indigenous species, out of the 58 species of kangaroo (macropods) only 4 of the most abundant species are commercially harvested. Kangaroo numbers are now increasing greater than ever before. Due to increase in kangaroo numbers, it has become necessary to set a commercially harvest quota to a record 8 million for 2014 of the population estimated of around 54 million to prevent economic and environmental damage. Strict controls ensure that no more than the quota number is actually harvested, in fact in recent years the harvest has been around 1.6 million per year, making the kangaroo industry one of the most sustainable renewable resources in the world.
Through careful management the Australian Kangaroo Industry has developed to its current level where Australia processes millions of tonnes of high quality meat as well as a large range of leather products. Each Australian state that commercially harvests kangaroos must have in place a Federal Government approved management plan. These plans must be updated every 3 years and aerial surveys of the population are conducted every year. After assessing the total populations and trends in population numbers, a sustainable quota is set for the number of kangaroos that can be harvested for that year. Kangaroos are harvested only from primary producing properties in Australia.