Tackling crocodile morons
Push to shut legal loophole
The Queensland Government is being urged to close a “legal loophole” allowing social media users to get away with recklessly entering croc habitat to make content for likes and clicks.
Crocodile conservationist Bob Irwin engaged the Environmental Defenders Office (EDO) to draw up amendments to the Nature Conservation Act 1992 after a spate of alarming incidents where people were seeking out croc-infested waters to make online content.
It comes after a wannabe crocodile hunter in Townsville who shared videos on Tiktok of himself pulling crocs from the Ross River got fined $12,000 in March.
“The government says idiots like these are not breaking any laws,” Mr Irwin said.
“Well, I say, change the law!” Under the proposed changes authorities would create an offence for recklessly using crocodile habitat.
There would also be aggravated or increased penalty for disturbing a crocodile under Regulation 334 and increased penalty for recklessly using a crocodile habitat and or disturbing a crocodile for the purposes of social media publication.
EDO managing lawyer Kirstiana Ward said the amendments were designed to maintain the existing rights of responsible waterway users.
“These simple changes wouldn’t stop anyone fishing or safely enjoying areas where crocs live,” she said.
“They close a legal loophole that allows people to get away with deliberately and dangerously using crocodile habitat.
“Crocodiles are ambush predators. You don’t see them coming, which means the laws that already prohibit people deliberately interfering with wildlife don’t apply.
“The law reforms we’re proposing are similar to those we have for managing human behaviour with dingoes on K’gari/fraser Island.
“Communities and crocodiles can peacefully coexist when people do the right thing. This is not a croc management issue — it is a people management issue.
“We have suggested a legal solution to this problem that is a measured response to protect our valued native species.”
A Department of Environment and Science spokesman said they had received and are reviewing documents from the Environmental Defenders Office relating to amendments they are proposing to the Nature Conservation Act.
The EDO said the amendments have the backing of more than 40 traditional owners, conservationists, scientists, business owners and community members.
Traditional owner Kathleen Walker, from Wujal Wujal Country, wrote to Environment Minister Meaghan Scanlon in support of the proposed reforms.
“The men who have recklessly entered crocodile habitat have tarnished the reputation of our otherwise safe community and caused
two of our totem animals to been killed against our wishes,” she said.
“The euthanasia of the two crocodiles because of a recent incident has deeply saddened our people. It was completely unnecessary and avoidable.
“We support the Environmental Defenders Office’s recommendations in the name of creating greater protection for our totem animal, the saltwater crocodile, when human error is involved.
“We would like to see a notolerance approach to members of the public who take the risk in crocodile territory and for greater mitigation measures to be legislated.”