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 32 Analysis of survey data The crocodile-monitoring program uses existing knowledge of the variation in data from a particular river to detect any declining trends in numbers or biomass (Appendix 3). There is inherent variability in both the survey results and the fluctuations of the crocodile population which are independent of harvesting. Survey data from each of the monitored rivers will be analysed to detect any significant population decline. If survey results show a declining trend, the population in that river would be resurveyed in each of the following two years (rather than on a biennial basis) to check the validity of the low values. If these population declines continue for three consecutive years, management intervention will be considered, possibly in the form of reducing or stopping harvests and/or restocking. The change in the management of that river will be maintained until survey data suggest harvesting can continue. If declining trends are detected in more than one river in a regional catchment (Figure 3) then the management interventions will be applied across the regional catchment. There are some regional catchments that do not have monitored rivers. If declining trends are detected across an adjoining regional catchment then management interventions will be applied in the non-monitored regional catchment. The monitored rivers are generally highly productive and therefore in the most heavily harvested regional catchments. Because anomalous survey points have occurred in the past, the Northern Territory Government will not ban harvesting based on the survey results of only one year. This is because outlying survey results are more likely to be related to variations in temperature and tidal conditions than to a change in population size. Performance Indicators Continue the population survey program as stipulated in this management program. Analyse and assess the results of the survey program and implement any resulting management recommendations. Figure 5: Rivers surveyed for monitoring of Saltwater Crocodile populations in the NT