North Australian FISH FINDER forums

yep time to shoot a few

but not a free for all

permits and a cap on how many and where?? could raise some serious $$ for the NT gov or fisheries etc

would like to see the numbers of big crocs reduce, yeah they are good to look at but too many around for my liking

any croc found within say 400m of a boat ramp should be until they are scared of humans again like they where years ago

Harmsey

Hmmm, some very interesting and varied opinions coming out of this one, each one as valid as the next I guess. So seeing as everyones throwing their 2 bobs worth in I thought I'd join in.
Firstly we are all shocked and horrified about last weeks attack in the territory, only a matter of weeks after another young child was taken in FNQ under similar circumstances, but I am of the opinion that emotion has no place in a debate of this nature if logical arguments are to be put forward. Without placing blame on anyone it would be hard to argue that both attacks were a result of kids being allowed to swim in known crocodile habitat.
There has been a lot of talk of late of a sharp increase in croc numbers particularly in the top-end which is inevitable given the ban on hunting which has been in place since 1971 (1964 for freshies). In more than 200 million years the only thing which has come close to wiping out the saltwater crocodile is us. I've heard stories of there being so few crocs around in the early 70's that people would jump overboard in places like the east alligator just to cool themselves off. Such an act would be more or less suicide these days. Experts are saying now theres an estimated 80,000 salties in the territiory today, and it only seems like a few years ago they were saying there was 70,000. I think its feasible that there is more crocs around now than there ever has been. How can that be? Well the population has more than recovered in terms of numbers, but todays situation is a very un-natural population. The biggest regulator of croc numbers is big male crocs, I'm talking the super big fellas 6m+. Yeah sure theres a few out there but very few. For a croc to be that size now it would have to one of the very few target sized animals getting around in the early 70's. Sure we all know that crocs have all sorts of territorial disputes, particularly during the breeding season, but I reckon that todays population of crocs has come through on such an even playing field, that they lack that natural heirarchy that would be there if they hadnt started rebuilding a population virtually from scratch. Put simply the crocs arent killing each other as much, as they are more evenly matched.
The search last week was called off last week because the description given of a approximately 3m croc didnt really narrow things down much, that probably describes hundreds of animals in that area.
So what to we do about it?
Well if that theory is right you could A. do nothing and learn to live with crocodiles and wait for the population to start sorting itself out, something which could take many years untill we have more big dominant males regulating the numbers. Or B. introduce a controlled culling of medium sized crocs in attempt to offset the average size and hopefully get more of a heirachy going.
Neither option is going to make waterways safer to swim in. Regardless of what is done people need to be a bit more aware of crocodiles in ALL of our waterways. From time to time the odd croc is going to take more than a casual interest in fishing activities. I had such an experience recently in a certain river where several certain companies make a business out of encouraging crocdiles to approach boats where they will be fed. It definately happens in other places too. I think thats a situation where you just have to give way and move on. But we do need to look at how certain activities are taking away that fear of humans that crocs should natually have.
Anyway theres certainly no easy option but its good to see its making people think a bit. So thats my feelings on it all, I'm sure you blokes will tear it to bits! go for ya life

A permit should go out to respected shooters, I agree some need to be shot. They need to fear the noise of the an outboard again, too many crocs coming within meters of boats and ramps, with that "Im gonna eat you" look. The numbers need to be kept down thats for sure, its been over 30 years i think since you were able to shoots crocs since then the've bread like crazy. One mature female can lay up to 100 eggs in a sitting now 50% of that may not survive but that is still a huge number across the NT. I can only see more smaller crocs moving into the surburban creeks in years to come as they get pushed out of the big tidal rivers because the larger residents are very territorial.
Leave them alone in the rivers and maybe a certain distance either side, but when there getting closer to housing shoot'em up, specially creeks that run between populated areas.

One thing I think needs to be done is more spread on croc awareness, theres only as much as a sign at the waters edge, one out of 150 pages in a a magazine mag (authors do mention it in there articles). But nothing really on the TV, unless its because i dont waste my life in front of it. We got graphical ads educating the youth on speeding, drink driving, etc, maybe put together something gore that makes you think twice before hitting the water.
Just a thought.

It is tragic a little girl lost her life at such a young age.

Without sounding incompassionate, this is hardly an accident. This person was taken by a crocodile because they were swimming where they should not have been swimming. Nothing has been learnt from this event as I drive home from work every afternoon (I live in the rural area) I still see people swimming in the culverts . When is some personal responsibillity going to be taken for peoples actions (In life in general, not just this particular event)

Culling Crocodiles is just pushing the blame on to the crocodile for doing what is natural to them. The blunt honest truth of this attack is if the person was not swimming there, they would still be alive.

Yes the crocodile population has exploded. So has the human population. Should we cull humans as well.

If you look back at previous crocodile attacks you will see that the vast majority of attacks have occured as a result of people doing stupid things. Most crocodile attacks could of been avoided with some common sense and a healthy respect for these animals. The remaining small minority of people attacked are victims of nature.

Everytime somthing like this happens I think maybe people may learn from it. Sadly it never works this way and that is hardly a crocodiles fault.

I agree with you Chanos, all I had was a 4 D cell mag light....