George Wilson from the Australian National University and John Read from the University of Adelaide said the bill, which was introduced into the US House of Representatives earlier this year, would lead to more amateur culling in Australia.

A marketing campaign in the US, ‘Kangaroos are not shoes’ is aimed at stopping Nike, adidas and other brands using kangaroo leather in football boots.

The professors said: “We have a combined 80 years’ experience in kangaroo management. In our view, this proposal is one of the most comprehensive own goals in history of improving kangaroo welfare. Our research shows the kangaroo industry leads to better kangaroo welfare, more stable populations and improved conservation outcomes.

“Weakening the industry will result in more kangaroo suffering, not less. If the bill succeeds, it would further suppress global demand for kangaroo products, and allow unregulated, uncontrolled and unmonitored killing by amateur hunters to flourish.”

Australia’s kangaroo population is estimated at more than 40 million, and culling is regulated by the government. If populations rise, they become a pest for cattle farmers.

The professors added: “Overabundance can also affect the welfare of the animals themselves. During the recent drought, for example, millions of kangaroos starved and breeding was suppressed, causing kangaroo numbers to fall markedly.”