Crocs can lure tourists
A HINCHINBROOK tourism operator believes North Queensland should embrace crocodiles as a money- making attraction instead of culling the reptiles as suggested by Katter’s Australian Party.
John Schmidt of Absolute North Charters said tourists on his Hinchinbrook tours are always requesting to see a croc.
“Every single person that comes from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Europe, Canada and the Americas all want to see these animals,” Mr Schmidt said. “There’s money to be made in an area like this.”
He believes croc tourism in the Hinchinbrook region would add to what North Queensland already has to offer.
“There is definitely an industry there that could be promoted,” Mr Schmidt said.
“There are many, many places that you can drive around and look at crocs within the district that you don’t even have to go in a boat.”
However, when Mr Schmidt was growing up he said it was rare to see a crocodile in the region.
“Twenty to thirty years ago there were no crocodiles compared to what there are now,” Mr Schmidt said. “We swam in the Herbert River 25 and 30 years ago when we were kids, going up and down that river on a windsurfer at 2am in the morning.”
Saltwater crocodiles were hunted for their skins until near extinction until they became a protected species by the Bjelke- Petersen government in 1974.
“Everyone that saw a croc had a gun in the ’ 60s and ’ 70s and everyone shot them,” Mr Schmidt said. “I didn’t see my first croc until I was 12 years old.”
Mr Schmidt said he didn’t see the point of KAP’s proposal to cull crocs.
“We’re talking about the elector- ate that voted 65 per cent against marriage equality, we’re 30 years behind here and we’re holding on to traditions the rest of the nation have moved on from,” Mr Schmidt said.
“It’s time we moved on and started using the resources and promoting the area for what it is.”
Katter’s Australian Party Member for Hinchinbrook Nick Dametto said the Safer Waterways Bill focused on removing smaller problem crocodiles from populated areas such as creeks, swimming holes and boat ramps where the reptiles have the potential to kill humans.
“Larger crocodiles are territorial and will take up residence in a waterhole, the smaller crocodiles need somewhere to go and they’re crossing drains, turning up in creeks and places where we’ve never seen crocs before,” Mr Dametto said.
“We’re not nuking every croc out of every creek – I believe some of those bigger crocs could be left there to satisfy tourism.”
However, the MP said Katter’s Australia Party received a submission to the Safer Waterways Bill from a North Queensland tourism operation stating crocodiles are affecting operators offering watersport activities to tourists in the region.
“( Croc tours) is a great tourism idea but how does those extra crocodiles being in and around our waterways impact the already existing tourism businesses that require people to get in the water,” he said.
“One gentleman thinks it’s great to start croc tours but what about the 10 businesses that are suffering because people don’t want to get in the water.”