The Environmental Defenders Office (EDO), conservationist Bob Irwin, and conservation group Community Representation of Crocodiles (CROCS) welcome moves by the Miles government to reduce risky human behaviours in crocodile habitat.
The government today has announced it is cracking down on people feeding and interacting with crocodiles to reduce the risk to communities and wildlife.
“These laws will protect people, communities and crocodiles,” EDO Managing Lawyer (North Queensland) Kirstiana Ward said.
“EDO acknowledges the hard work and positive collaboration between our clients, CROC, our Kuku Yalanji elders, Aunty Kathleen and Aunty Francis Walker, and our other First Nations friends, communities, and the government.
“Together, we have strengthened penalties under current laws and acted boldly to create new laws that make discarding fish scraps an offence with high penalties.
“Feeding causes the crocodiles to habituate in areas of high human visitation, increasing the risks of dangerous human-crocodile interactions.
“We have been saying for some time that Queenslanders must all work together to ensure we manage the risks by observing Crocsafe behaviours at all times.
“Hopefully by holding individuals accountable for their reckless behaviour, we can improve public safety and reduce the needless culling of crocodiles, which causes extreme distress to First Nations communities.”
Queensland Environment Minister Leanne Linard this morning announced two new offences were now in force for discarding food scraps in a way that may attract crocodiles, and for being in close proximity to a crocodile on land. [1]
Ms Linard also announced penalties for existing offences of deliberately disturbing or feeding crocodiles and interfering with a crocodile trap had been significantly increased.
Crocodile conservationist Bob Irwin said: “After all these years, finally, there’s laws for protecting crocodiles from reckless behaviour.
“It’s taken a long time for people to understand that crocodiles are important to the environment.
“I think it’s the best news since sliced bread, to see the focus placed on human behaviour in crocodile habitat.”
CROCS spokesperson Amanda French said: “It’s a wonderful step to actually be able to deter and punish people who put themselves and our threatened species at risk.
“Making people responsible for their own safety, but also managing the safety of others, is definitely in the right direction.
“We can’t change a crocodile’s behaviour, but we can focus on people taking personal responsibility in croc country.
“We look forward to continuing our collective efforts with EDO and the Queensland Government to deter any reckless behaviour promoted online, involving people and crocodiles.”
REFERENCES
[1] New offences and increased fines to crack down on feeding, interfering with Crocs, Media release, Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef, Leanne Linard MP, 3-9-24.
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