Territory Stories

Management program for the saltwater crocodile in the Northern Territory of Australia 2009-2013

Details:

Title

Management program for the saltwater crocodile in the Northern Territory of Australia 2009-2013

Creator

Fukuda, Yusuke; Delaney, Robyn; Leach, Gregory J

Issued by

Northern Territory. Department of Natural Resources, Environment, The Arts and Sport

Collection

E-Publications; E-Books; PublicationNT

Date

2009-04

Description

The draft program is open for public comment to Friday 29 May 2009. Includes Summary document.

Notes

Date:2009-04; Made available via the Publications (Legal Deposit) Act 2004 (NT).

Language

English

Subject

Crocodylus porosus -- Northern Territory; Crocodiles -- Conservation -- Northern Territory; Crocodiles -- Control -- Northern Territory; Crocodiles -- Government Policy -- Northern Territory

Publisher name

Northern Territory Government

Place of publication

Darwin

Edition

Draft.

Format

60 pages : illustration, maps ; 30 cm.

File type

application/pdf

ISBN

9781921519260

Use

Attribution International 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)

Copyright owner

Northern Territory Government

License

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Related links

http://hdl.handle.net/10070/214159[Final Edition]

Parent handle

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/212633

Citation address

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/716134

Related items

https://hdl.handle.net/10070/716136

Page content

Draft Management Program for the Saltwater Crocodile in the Northern Territory 5 trade management plan pursuant to Section 303FO of the EPBC Act. Commercial export permits for crocodiles are issued under Section 303CG. A State/Territory management program for wild populations is not required if a State/Territory elects to limit use to captive breeding. However, even crocodile farms based solely on captive breeding in Australia have to be registered under the EPBC Act before permission to export products is granted. Australia is also a signatory to the Convention on Wetlands of International Importance (Ramsar Convention). There are plans of management for two of the three Ramsar-listed areas of the Northern Territory (Stages one and two of Kakadu National Park) which protect wetlands and their dependent fauna, including Saltwater Crocodiles. NRETAS is currently developing a plan of management for Cobourg Peninsula (Garig Gunak Barlu National Park). 2. Management Context 2.1 Socio-economic Values 2.1.1 Cultural Values In the Northern Territory, crocodiles are an iconic species that attract considerable publicity and a wide range of community views and opinions regarding their abundance, distribution and cultural and economic importance. Community views towards crocodiles range from them being regarded as totems of spiritual significance among some Aboriginal communities (Lanhupuy 1987) to being reviled and seen as dangerous pests (mostly C. porosus) among some other sectors of the community. Crocodiles are an important natural resource for many sectors including Aboriginal communities, the tourist industry and the crocodile farming industry. 2.1.2 Health Saltwater Crocodiles have been historically a source of protein for Indigenous communities from both eggs and meat (see 2.5.1). Based on surveys conducted in central Arnhem Land between 2003-04, the subsistence use of crocodiles was negligible (T Griffiths NRETAS and J Altman ANU, pers. comm.). This outcome is similar to surveys conducted in 1980 at the same location (Altman 1987). 2.1.3 Economic Harvesting and Farming The harvesting of crocodiles primarily for their skins but also for their flesh and body parts supports a significant industry in the Northern Territory. The crocodile industry relies heavily on the annual Saltwater Crocodile egg harvest from the wild. There is also a very small demand for C. johnstoni and a separate management program for the Freshwater Crocodile is being prepared. The world market for crocodile skins in 2006 was 1,782,774 skins with the Northern Territory crocodile industry supplying approximately 0.3% of this market. Between 2003 and 2007 the