Would you eat a possum? Whether salivating or spewing at the thought, it’s looking more likely this year in South Australia.
Did you know that game meats such as goat, rabbit, hare, kangaroo and wallaby can be slaughtered, sold and consumed legally in SA already? However, there are changes coming into effect that will mean buffalo, camel, deer, donkey, horse, kangaroo, rabbit, possum or wallaby killed in the wild will also become legal to eat.
Animal welfare groups are outraged by the news, labelling the proposition as “obnoxious” and needlessly including “meats that people don’t even like”.
In fact, the move is merely a formality that will bring South Australia into line with the rest of the country, SA Health spokeswoman Janet Pretsell said.
“We are updating the Food Regulations 2002 to align them with the national Food Standards Code which defines game meat,” she said.
“While the proposed game meats will be permitted to be sold for consumption in SA, the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 restricts protected species from culling, and the harvesting of these animals is only permissible under permit.”
So in reality, any South Australians wanting to hunt a possum, or any other protected species in SA, would need a permit in accordance with the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972.
The consultation period for the proposed amendments to South Australia’s Food Standard code is still underway. Closing in February, any new rules will be implemented from September 2017