Belgium, a major player in the world's largest massacre of wild land animals
Every year in Australia, millions of kangaroos are slaughtered in extremely violent conditions. In the Belgian market alone, more than 80,000 kangaroos are killed annually for their skin or meat, making Belgium the leading European importer of kangaroo products.
A declining industry
INTERSPORT Belgium's decision is part of an underlying trend: brands and retailers such as Nike, Adidas, Puma, Asics, Decathlon, and most recently INTERSPORT Belgium, have announced, one after the other, that they will stop selling products containing kangaroo leather, which is mainly used in football boots.
GAIA calls on politicians to act
GAIA is now calling on politicians to support this private sector movement with a legal ban on the import and sale of kangaroo meat and leather in the country's three regions.
In Brussels, a proposed ordinance to ban the sale of products from commercial kangaroo hunting was tabled in March by Ecolo/Groen. More recently, in May, a proposed decree was also submitted by Vooruit, in consultation with GAIA.
Largely favourable public opinion
A recent survey (September 2024, Pureprofile) reveals that 77% of Walloons and 74% of Brussels residents are in favour of banning the import of kangaroo meat.
