Jacob Goodwin
13-01-2004, 03:36 PM
I have just read some potentially good news. Apparently, the Northern Territory Government is currently considering a proposal to allow 25 saltwater crocodiles to be taken by hunters.
Apparently, the 25 crocs would be amond the annual quota of 600 NT crocodiles which can currently be legally harvested for their skins and meat.
Unfortunately, the draft plan needs to be approved by the Federal Government, which has indicated it will probably not support the safaris.
How typical of the Federal Government! Why on Earth would it not allow local landowners and the NT government to generate income from problem animals, which are no longer threatened or endangered. Instead, the bureaucrats in Canberra are quite happy to let the croc population explode and then require the NT Gov't spend more of our tax money on professional shooters to cull overpopulated areas.
To give an idea of the potential revenue that could be generated by such a plan, African outfitters charge approximately US$2000 trophy fees to hunt Nile Crocodiles. This does not include the daily rate, which can be from US$350 to $500 per day. Thus, under the NT's draft plan, the territory/landowners could receive up to US$50,000 (approximately A$70,000) in trophy fees alone, not to mention the peripheral economic benefit generated by overseas (US) hunters coming over and spending money. All this....FOR ANIMALS THAT WERE GOING TO BE HARVESTED FOR SKIN ANYWAY!!! It's not a huge amount of revenue, but it's better than paying shooters to come in.
Bloody ridiculous!
Apparently, the 25 crocs would be amond the annual quota of 600 NT crocodiles which can currently be legally harvested for their skins and meat.
Unfortunately, the draft plan needs to be approved by the Federal Government, which has indicated it will probably not support the safaris.
How typical of the Federal Government! Why on Earth would it not allow local landowners and the NT government to generate income from problem animals, which are no longer threatened or endangered. Instead, the bureaucrats in Canberra are quite happy to let the croc population explode and then require the NT Gov't spend more of our tax money on professional shooters to cull overpopulated areas.
To give an idea of the potential revenue that could be generated by such a plan, African outfitters charge approximately US$2000 trophy fees to hunt Nile Crocodiles. This does not include the daily rate, which can be from US$350 to $500 per day. Thus, under the NT's draft plan, the territory/landowners could receive up to US$50,000 (approximately A$70,000) in trophy fees alone, not to mention the peripheral economic benefit generated by overseas (US) hunters coming over and spending money. All this....FOR ANIMALS THAT WERE GOING TO BE HARVESTED FOR SKIN ANYWAY!!! It's not a huge amount of revenue, but it's better than paying shooters to come in.
Bloody ridiculous!