Another man has been killed by a saltwater crocodile. Fishing from a boat in Kakadu National Park he was reported to be emptying a bucket over the side of the boat when pulled out by a 4.7 m crocodile. The crocodile was later shot and human remains found in its stomach.

The Northern Territory government has called for a discussion on how to better manage the considerable crocodile threat from a large population of saltwater crocodiles unafraid of humans. Both the NT Territory and the Queensland State Government have called for legal hunting of crocodiles many times, probably at least six times, in the past ten plus years and each time is denied by the Federal Commonwealth Government.

The safari quota has been called for 25 and also 50 crocodiles. It should be noted 500 to 600 crocodiles are taken out of the wild each year under CITES quota, and the safari quota is a small number of that. For anti-hunting, and anti-conservation ideological reasons the Federal governments both Liberal and Labor, under Howard, Rudd, Gillard and now Abbott have denied legal safari hunting.

A legal safari industry would have many benefits. It would help prevent human deaths from dangerous crocodiles unafraid of humans. A limited shooting/hunting would encourage crocodiles to be afraid of man and perhaps prevent some attacks.

Saltwater crocodile safaris would greatly benefit the traditional owners of land in the North, providing real income and some employment.

Saltwater crocodiles are in no way endangered or threatened and have recovered to a huge population numbers since the hide shooting of the 1960's.

The Federal Government should be held responsible for any saltwater crocodile deaths if they continue to deny limited hunting of saltwater crocodiles.