Australia rejected on Thursday a plan to let big-game hunters shoot crocodiles in the country’s tropical north, despite calls for a cull after three men were killed by the giant reptiles and a 10-year-old girl was attacked.
The federal government said a proposal from Northern Territory authorities to allow 25 ”trophy” crocodiles a year to be killed on safari hunts designed to attract big-spending international tourists was inhumane.
Environment Minister Ian Campbell said allowing tourists to blast away at Australia’s wildlife would send the wrong message about the country’s commitment to conserving its native fauna.
”I do not believe that safari hunting of crocodiles is consistent with a modern-day approach to animal welfare and responsible management,” he said.
Saltwater crocodiles, which can grow up to 7m long and weigh more than a tonne, have been protected since the early 1970s.
But the government has been under pressure to do something about increasing crocodile numbers after a series of recent attacks.
Two men were killed in separate incidents off the Northern Territory coast in late September and another was taken in the neighbouring state of Queensland a month earlier.
This week, schoolgirl Chantal Burnup (10) was rescued from the jaws of a crocodile that started dragging her off the back of a yacht in Western Australia. Her father grabbed Chantal while her brother beat the predator with a stick.
Campbell said 600 crocodiles are already culled each year for leather and meat production. — Sapa-AFP