LURKING MONSTER
FEARS OVER 4M CROC:
THE possibility rogue saltwater crocodiles could be sought out by big game trophy hunters was described as “insane” by the Member for Leichhardt at the first of four public inquiries into the proposed Safer Waterways Bill.
Warren Entsch addressed the committee in his capacity as a former croc farmer.
He told Parliamentary committee members representing the electorates of Noosa, Scenic Rim, Cook, Whitsunday and Jordan a “business as usual approach” to the management of crocodiles was going to be a disaster and there needed to be acknowledgment of “a major issue of proliferation of crocodiles in our regions”.
But he fell short of supporting the Bill in its current form.
“I think this trophy hunting on private land is insane,” he said.
“It just does not work. They talk about trophy hunting … they need very large animals in perfect condition but they need to take them home with them.”
Mr Entsch said border control prohibited export without special permit.
The proposed legislation would authorise the harvest of crocodile eggs, co-ordinate research into surveys and population numbers and promote the farming of crocs.
Travis Sydes of the Far North Queensland Regional Organisation of Councils told the board the monetisation of the crocs by landowners selling hides of big animals created a new set of issues.
“We can end up with all these perverse elements on top of what is a really complex ecological, social and economic issue,” he said.
“Facing the commercial value on wild crocodiles, particularly decentralisation it and putting it out to individuals to manage is fraught.”
Hill MP Shane Knuth said the Bill was designed to make Queensland waterways safer.
“There is continued talk of doing something and now we have a Bill in place that makes decisions, otherwise we can go back to going to Brisbane and getting permission about making (removal) decisions,” he said.
“The Bill will have a croc authority based in Cairns dealing with issues on the ground.”