Overseas Visitor Crocodile safari hunting to be approved and legal

[Robert Borsak]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-06-23/saltwater-crocodile-safari-hunting-could-happen-in-one-year/6565132

Well at long last it seems that Safari croc hunting in the NT top end of Australia will be up and running in the next 12 months or so Senator Scullion says.

Its perverse but it took our attack on the lion trophy import ban to get Minister Hunt into a political position that stopped him from continuing his ban, a ban he confirmed some 18 months ago, not long after he took over as Minister, on animal welfare grounds or some such. Seems that this fellow is an Animal Rights activist in the Enviroment Portfolio of a Conservative Govt in Canberra.

Lets now see whether this really happens, the signs are good, however our fight on the lion import ban isnt over by a long shot!

We have been fighting for this since 1990, I have been thrown out of the Ministers office in 1991 (when I visited seeking approval as President of SCI Australia) for even suggesting such a safari croc program, SFP and the local Chapter of SCI have been on the job here for decades.

 

[BRICKBURN]

Good luck getting it going.

 

[gizmo]

That will be really cool if it happens. Good luck!

 

[bluey]

sign me up for a saltie .....

it'll look good beside my lioness ..........

 

[Redruff]

+1

 

[Clayton Holland]

Will be interesting to see where this one ends up. Hope it comes off though now it is gaining some news coverage I am waiting for the antis to start up. The advantage is crocs are not cute and fuzzy and like to eat people so there shouldn't be as much backlash as there could be.

 

[JWB300]

Hoping this goes well Rob! It's a huge industry waiting to happen.

 

[ActionBob]

I'll be in! Nice addition to a water buffalo...

 

[spike.t]

Will be interesting to see where this one ends up. Hope it comes off though now it is gaining some news coverage I am waiting for the antis to start up. The advantage is crocs are not cute and fuzzy and like to eat people so there shouldn't be as much backlash as there could be.

as you say it will be interesting to see what is said..........good luck robert

 

[PaulT]

I, for one, certainly hope that sanity prevails and this becomes a reality, but, in advance, excuse me for my "glass is half empty approach", I just can't see it getting very far.

Australian Governments are completely ignorant to proper conservations management strategies and requirements so I really can't see them getting this one correct either.

I operated in Arnhemland for over ten years and even in that time noted the dramatic increase in population, as it has right across Northern Australia, despite numerous egg collections licenses issued to numerous operators that limit the natural population growth each year.

A "croc-safari" system was promoted several times during my tenure in the Top End and at each occasion the bunny huggers kyboshed it with their ridiculous "endangered animal" crap.

Anyone who has visited the Arafura swamp and dares to tip their feet in the water will know better, or at least learn the hard way.

One morning whilst fishing on the Mary River (Corroberee Billabong) I had a sore back and laid in the front of the boat whilst my mate drove the boat to our fishing spot for the day.
Without turning my head, and only counting one bank of the River over the course of a twenty minute trip with a 25hsp outboard at full stick I counted 76 crocs ON ONLY THE ONE SIDE !

The last few years I operated out on the East Coast I could not even trust to wade through ankle deep mud-holes out in the middle of no-where, miles from any permanent water as the population had increased so much that any water anywhere had the potential (and usually did) to harbor a "lizard", as territorial fights from big males sent smaller males seeking sanctuary in remotely located water-holes.

Year before last I found a 14' footer with inch sized holes in the top and bottom of its head and its front right arm ripped from its socket by a bigger animal, and that was in my camp water-hole !

This needs to be done and it needs to be done sensibly.

There is more than enough existing data on populations, sizes etc for numerous sport hunted Trophies to be taken, generating income and reducing the pressure on space and prey animals.

Best of luck to those trying to make this happen.

 

[Deleted member 15212]

very cool!

 

[huntermn15]

I would love to partake in a croc / buff hunt!

 

[jeff]

It seems to make too much sense to actually happen !

 

[JWB300]

Rob,

I understand that this may have fallen over at the hands of the green eyed Minister Hunt? Is this the case?

JWB300

 

[Witold Krzyżanowski]

Good luck.
Witold

 

[PaulT]

"I would love to partake in a croc / buff hunt!"

Hunermn15, this is not directed at you at all, I've just borrowed your quote for my purposes.

Whilst I was in the business and the croc proposal was being discussed I had MANY hunters suggest as you have.

The Government at the time was suggesting a $5000 Government license fee (payable direct to the Government, for whatever reason).
That is BEFORE the landowner who's property the animal is located on makes anything out of it( and who has every right to suggest that he makes at least the same amount that the Govmnt is making out of it) and BEFORE an outfitter caters for accommodation, meals, staff, camps, vehicles, insurances, equipment, recovery, shipping etc .

At the rates suggested the previous time this proposal was raised an outfitter would not make a dime out of a $20k hunt that involves A LOT OF WORK AND EQUIPMENT to successfully undertake.

I wonder how many hunters would be keen enough for an Aussie Salty at a hunt cost of $20 - $25k when they can be had as an add-on to a plains game hunt in Zim or Moz for a $2 - $2.5k Trophy fee. ?

 

[Dragan N.]

Hmm at 20-25K I imagine you'd probably have quite a bit of interest as a salty is quite a trophy and they haven't been trophy hunted in decades so initially at least I think there would be a huge amount of interest. I recall reading a few years back some guy named Mick Pitman I think said the Australian gov't was thinking about oking some trophy croc hunts and that he would charge 150-180K per hunt. Now that's pretty extreme and would be geared towards a very small and specific clientele.

Now this is a bit off topic, but I know hunting of saltwater crocodiles happens however is it only a few specialized hunters and aborigines who can hunt them or can any resident hunter buy/get (via a lottery system f. ex.) tags for them?