Licence to kill

Forest Department to issue permits to hunt crocodiles in the wild in a bid to control the population of the man-eating reptiles

KU CHIN G: The Forest Department will issue licences to hunt crocodiles, sell its meat and by products in a bid to control their population in the wild.

The department ’ s deputy controller of wildlife Engkamat Lading, who disclosed this to The Borneo Post yesterday, said the department had received at least 45 applications for the licences.

We are fi nalising the issuance of licences to the applicants and hopefully by next month, we would be able to issue the licences to assist us in the management of crocodiles in the wild,” he said.

He also said applicants must apply for separate licences for hunting crocodiles and selling its meat to ensure that there would be a proper management of the reptile in the wild.

It’s going to be a very stringent exercise because we want to manage our crocodiles in a sustainable manner. So we have to observe certain quotas for various sizes of crocodiles, either for sale as meat, or lives ones for crocodile farms which we are going to introduce soon,” he said.

Engkamat reiterated that those intending to sell crocodile meat and skin overseas need to apply

We are finalising the issuance of licences to the applicants and hopefully by next month, we would be able to issue the licences to assist us in the management of crocodiles in the wild.

for Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species in Wild Fauna and Flora ( CITES) licences.

As for domestic needs, there is no need for CITES licence as we have our on Wildlife Ordinance as guidelines,” he added.

Among the 55 rivers with high crocodile populat ion are Batang Lupar, Batang Saribas, Batang Samarahan and Sungai Santubong, as well as the tributaries of these four rivers.

Meanwhile, Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) deputy general manager ( protected areas and biodiversity conservat ion division) Oswald Braken Tisen said his agency is now providing awareness to the people of ways to manage crocodiles as resources for the state.

We are also promoting and encouraging people to start crocodile farms for various needs including for eco-tourism, meat, skins as well for export,” he said.

Since crocodiles have been downgraded from CITES Appendix I to Appendix II in October last year, there is a lot on interest in the management of crocodile population due to many cases of human- crocodile conflicts.

Sarawak’s struggle to address the increasing crocodiles attack on humans for over one decade finally paid off when the CITES agreed to downlist wild crocodiles in Sarawak from Appendix I to Appendix II.

The downlisting meant that the state would be able to manage crocodiles in the wild better because prior to this, Sarawak was not al lowed to sel l the products of cul led animals especial ly its meat and skin to overseas’ markets – under Appendix I – as any international trade transaction is governed by CITES.

This was despite the state having its own Wildlife Protection Act enacted in 1990 to protect the animals from getting extinct.

As a signatory of CITES, Sarawak had to seek the convention’s approval to downgrade the status from I to II.

There are 197 countries who are members of CITES.

Engkamat Lading, Forest Department deputy controller of wildlife