"Quotas are set as a proportion of the population and any decline in numbers due to the drought has been taken into account," Environment Minister David Kemp said in a statement.

"I am confident that the commercial kangaroo harvest quotas for 2004 are sustainable and will not jeopardise the ongoing health of Australia's kangaroo population."

Hunters had been cleared to cull 6.5 million kangaroos in 2003.

Kemp said the actual number of kangaroos killed was normally only half the official quota. But that is unlikely to placate animal rights groups, which have long campaigned to stop the cull.

Australian farmers argue that agricultural clearing and irrigation schemes have allowed the country's 50 million-plus kangaroos to reach unnaturally high numbers and without culling they would reach plague proportions and compete with livestock for food.

Kangaroo meat is mainly used for pet food and the skins are exported to 25 countries, where they are used in a range of sporting goods such as football boots, golf gloves and baseball mitts.

Animal welfare group Viva targeted English football captain David Beckham this year for using football boots made of kangaroo leather.

Kemp said only the most common kangaroos were killed and no marsupial species was under threat because of the cull.

TERRA.WIRE