Right: The late "crocodile hunter", Steve Irwin, and his wife, Terri, made Australian crocs internationally famous. Both were against culling of any kind and Terri Irwin recently spoke out against plans to operate crocodile "safaris".
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Arguments in favour of crocodile safaris in the Northern Territory
1. Crocodile safaris will create employment for Indigenous communities
One of the key arguments offered in support of allowing safari hunting of crocodiles in the Northern Territory is that the hunts would be run by Indigenous communities and would provide a valuable source of employment.
The Northern Territory National Party argues for authorising Indigenous communities to conduct between 25 and 50 trophy shoots a year, claiming this would provide them with much-needed cash.
On March 28, 2015, The Northern Territory News published an opinion piece by Maria Billias, in which she stated, 'The NT Government first touted the idea of limited safari hunting as an economic driver for indigenous communities seven years ago. These communities have been asking for safari hunting as an income stream for years. It's also the same people living in some of the worst conditions in Australia today who are faced with the prospect of their kids being taken by these man-eating reptiles on a daily basis.'
In 2012, Indigenous landowner Jida Gulpilil argued that safari hunting would provide jobs and boost tourism in remote areas where there is a lack of economic opportunity. He stated, 'By doing this we can create the new Indigenous crocodile industry. Increasing our involvement in that industry means getting people into jobs, into better training, increased involvement in the contemporary form of crocodile management.'
In 2014, Jida Gulpilil presented safari-hunting crocodiles as an Aboriginal right. He argued that governments should not deny Aboriginal communities the opportunity to develop a resource occurring on their traditional lands.
Mr Gulpilil stated, 'It's another feather in the Government's hat when you are talking about taking away the rights of Aboriginal people.
For the Federal Government to come in under the Crown, lawlessly, and take away the rights of Aboriginal people...is unfair and it's unjust.' Mr Gulpilil has further stated, 'While white entrepreneurs have grown rich by farming crocodiles, we've only been getting a small slice of the pie.'
Safari hunting operations for buffalo and banteng on Aboriginal lands currently provide access fees of up to $1,500 per buffalo and $2,900 per banteng to Aboriginal landholders. Safari hunting of crocodiles is projected to provide access fees of $5,000 to $25,000 per crocodile to landholders (Indigenous and non-Indigenous), dependent upon the size of the animal.
Aboriginal guides would be part of the hunting party and may run the operation; while Aboriginal workers could clean, tan and mount the trophies for export. Mr Gulpilil believes hunters would pay between $10,000 and $50,000 for the total service.
Currently, Aboriginal landowners are permitted to kill crocodiles on their land. Aboriginal people are not bound by hunting regulations or seasons when taking animals for food or other traditional purposes. Supporters of the trophy-hunting program argue that it would allow the Indigenous population to gain greater financial benefit from these animals.
2. Northern Territory Saltwater Crocodiles are present in large numbers
In the Northern Territory the Salt-water Crocodile has been found in the following rivers: Mary, Adelaide, Daly, Moyle, Victoria/Baines, Finniss, Wildman, West Alligator, East Alligator, South Alligator, Liverpool, Blyth, Glyde, Habgood, Baralminar/Gobalpa, Goromuru, Cato and Peter John Rivers.
Prior to 1970, the Salt-water Crocodile was hunted in a manner that was shown to be unsustainable. In the Northern Territory, as few as 3000 Saltwater Crocodiles were present when hunting ceased. Since the species became protected, the Northern Territory population has increased to 30-40 000 in 1984 and 70-75 000 in 1994. In 2012 the estimated population was 80,000-100,000.
Within the Northern Territory Saltwater Crocodiles are a protected species, but are not listed as threatened.
Spotlight surveys over selected river systems within the Northern Territory provide indices of the density and size structure of crocodile populations and are the standard method of monitoring.
The current survey and monitoring data provides a measure of the population trend at the sampling sites and by extrapolation a demonstration of the trend for the total population. The principal purpose of monitoring the wild population is to provide an objective means through which any serious general or local decline, due to any cause, can be detected in sufficient time to effect remedial action.
Supporters of safari hunting of crocodiles argue that crocodile numbers are now so large that regulated hunting could take place without putting the species at risk.
3. The numbers of Saltwater Crocodiles to be hunted for trophies will be strictly limited
It has been proposed that up to 50 crocodiles would be trophy hunted each year. The 50 trophy animals would come out of a quota of 600 culled every year, under a management program aimed at thinning the population and removing 'problem animals'.
It has been claimed that the total number of animals being culled would not alter and so there would be no additional strain placed on crocodile numbers. Indigenous landowner Jida Gulpilil has stated, 'All we want to do is change the person who pulls the trigger.'
The animals to be hunted must be at least 3.5 metres long. This would restrict hunting to adult males and protect adult females who may be bearing eggs.
The management program states that the Northern Territory Government will seek to maintain the presence of a visible crocodile population and large iconic (generally more than 4.5 m) individuals through the creation of zones where harvesting of life cycle stages other than eggs is restricted.
While these guidelines do not set a maximum size limit on crocodiles that can be taken by safari hunting, it is expected that the harvest restrictions and restrictions imposed by landholders, will provide protection for a significant proportion of the very large crocodiles in the Northern Territory population.
Landholders will receive notification from the Director of Parks and Wildlife that they have secured the rights for crocodile safari hunting on their land for a specified number of animals.
The landholder would then advise their selected safari operator who will be required to apply for an individual safari-hunting permit for each safari hunt.
Permits to take wildlife will not be ongoing; they will be issued for a specified period. Safari operators will have to negotiate with the landholder for access to the land for which the safari permit has been granted.
4. Crocodile safaris will further boost tourism
It has been claimed that crocodile safaris would expand the tourist appeal of the Northern Territory.
Due to diminished numbers, crocodiles are generally unable to be hunted in other parts of the world. Being able to offer tourists the chance to participate in a crocodile hunt would give the Northern Territory a unique advantage in attracting big game tourists.
In 2012, the Territory's Chief Minister, Paul Henderson, stated, 'Those 50 trophies will certainly have exponential value in the international marketplace in terms of promoting tourism here in the territory. Come to the Territory and bag a croc.'
Nathan Askew, an American professional hunter who runs big game and crocodile hunting safaris in Africa, has stressed the attractiveness of crocodile hunting to the international tourist market. Mr Askew stated, 'It is a desirable species to hunt. It's an exciting hunt.'
The Northern Territory's Primary Industry and Fisheries Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, Willem Westra van Holthe, has also stressed the tourism advantages of the proposal.
The Minister has stated, 'If we can have a management plan that contains crocodile safari hunting, it means that we'll be able to market the Territory in another sense, worldwide, globally, and have people come into the Northern Territory, work with Indigenous people to go out and safari hunt these huge crocodiles.'
5. Crocodile safari hunting could have environmental benefits
It has been suggested that part of the revenue raised through the safari hunting of crocodiles could be used for environmental purposes.
Nathan Askew, an American professional hunter who runs big game and crocodile hunting safaris in Africa, has argued that the money raised from trophy hunting enterprises could be used to further conservation and management efforts, as has been done in Africa.
There are those who argue that if the economic value of an animal is increased then the desire to conserve it also increases. Professor Grahame Webb, who runs the Crocodylus Park in Darwin, which houses crocodiles for tourists to see, has claimed that anything that added to crocodiles' value added to the incentives to conserve the creatures.
The same point has been made by Nathan Askew, who has stated, 'It's kind of a weird thing, when you think about having to kill something to save it. But that's exactly what it is. We're the custodians of this earth, and managing populations of animals in the most effective way, which, a lot of times, boils down to the most financially viable way, is our responsibility.'
In an article run in The Adelaide Advertiser on February 23, 2015, Nicolle Flint argued that safari hunting in Africa had environmental advantages that could be replicated in Australia.
Ms Flint stated, 'We're not just talking about the estimated US$200 million-plus a year it contributes to nations such as Zimbabwe, Ethiopia or the Central African Republic. We're also talking about the direct financial contribution hunting makes to conservation.
Namibia, for example, charges up to US$350,000 to hunt a single black rhino. They permit three to five carefully selected old, male rhinos to be hunted each year. These males are past their breeding age and are a danger to female and young rhinos. The money raised goes directly to conserving the species, which is endangered.'
Flint further argued, 'Landholders in countries like Namibia value game animals for the income and employment generated by trophy-hunting tourism. Native animal numbers have stabilised and even increased because a significant financial reason exists to protect them.'