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THE ADVERTISER (Adelaide, Australia) 06 October 05 Trophy croc hunt banned
(AAP) Federal Environment Minister Ian Campbell is misleading people into thinking he is conserving crocodiles by refusing to allow trophy hunting, a Labor Northern Territory MP says.
Senator Campbell today rejected the NT government's proposal to allow 25 of the 600 crocodiles culled annually from the wild to be hunted by fee-paying trophy hunters.
His new management plan means an allocated 600 crocodiles a year will continue to be taken for farming, skin and flesh production, as well as the shooting of problem crocodiles.
"I do not believe safari hunting of crocodiles is consistent with a modern day approach to animal welfare and responsible management," Senator Campbell said.
Labor spokesman for Northern Australia Warren Snowdon said Senator Campbell was misleading the public.
"What was being proposed was not an extension of the number of crocodiles that are currently killed, but having a number of trophy crocodiles, effectively, within a number which is currently designated," he said.
"There's no open-slather here. It's absolutely misleading of the minister to lead people to believe, as I think he's done, that somehow or another this is a magnificent decision on his behalf to conserve crocodile populations."
Mr Snowdon said the decision was also a case of the Federal Government interfering in the Territory's business.
"What this is is micro-managing of the Northern Territory by the commonwealth government, in a way which adversely affects the NT community and the economy," he said.
"It's very clear that there are opportunities here for indigenous people in particular, to be able to exploit the fact that crocodiles are shot, currently, and that they should be allowed to do a number of these shootings for trophy purposes, and make some money out of it."
Senator Campbell decried the lack of scientific research on crocodiles.
"That decision I made involved me reading extensive research papers, it involved me talking to experts, who are divided on the issue I might say ... and it involved me in a unique experience of actually getting on top of a crocodile, with (reptile park manager) Steve Irwin's assistance in far north Queensland," he told an environment forum today.
"In a country that is challenged with crocodiles interacting with humans, and eating them from time to time, the real solution is to find out (about) crocodile behaviour, do some really good research and work out how we can interact with them safely, rather than licensing people to go out and shoot them," he said.
Humane Society International spokeswoman Nicola Beynon welcomed the decision.
"Trophy hunting belongs in the last century," she said.
"We need to find other ways of managing the problems that exist between crocodiles and humans.
"Killing wildlife for the fun of it is not acceptable."
Trophy croc hunt banned

AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING CORPORATION 07 October 05 Irwin influence stopped croc safaris, MP says
A Northern Territory Labor MP says the Federal Environment Minister appears to have consulted only one expert before making his decision on crocodile safari hunting.
Senator Ian Campbell has refused to allow the export of the crocodile skins, which are deemed crucial to starting a trophy hunting industry in the Northern Territory.
The decision has been condemned by members of his own Liberal Party, the CLP, the Territory Government and crocodile experts.
Labor's Member for Lingiari Warren Snowdon says it is clear where the Minister is getting his advice.
"He was seen wrestling with Steve Irwin, I mean he's his guru. He's on Australian national television cuddling a crocodile with Steve Irwin and that gives him some basis for knowledge," Mr Snowdon said.
Mr Snowdon says the decision is further evidence the CLP is ineffectual in Canberra.
He says if the CLP's Member for Solomon, Dave Tollner and Senator Nigel Scullion had any power in government, they would have convinced the Minister to change his mind.
"I don't know what the CLP exists for anymore in the Northern Territory frankly because at the federal level they're obviously a joke," he said.
"No one takes any notice of them because if you were advocating on behalf of the Northern Territory strongly, you would obviously stop these sorts of decisions.
"They have shown they have no power to influence decisions made by the Federal Government, repeatedly."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200510/s1476724.htm

NINE MSN (Australia) 07 October 05 Croc decision bites federal government
The federal government has shot down a plan to allow limited trophy hunting of some of the Northern Territory's 75,000 crocodiles.
But the move has been greeted with a howl of protest, including from within the government's own ranks, with claims the decision is based only on emotion and misinformation.
At stake is a NT government proposal to allow fee-paying hunters to shoot 25 of the 600 crocodiles culled from the wild each year.
The trophy hunting had been expected to generate income and wealth for impoverished Aboriginal landowners, through land access fees, camping and guide charges.
It also comes as the NT deals with two fatal crocodile attacks within a week, although both sides have shied away from suggesting trophy hunting would make the NT any safer.
Environment Minister Ian Campbell, who visited crocodile celebrity Steve Irwin's Queensland park before making his decision, said trophy hunting would send the wrong message to the world.
"I think it's an incredibly bad message to send out to the rest of the world that we're going in to shoot up our wildlife and particularly our ancient, prehistoric wildlife such as crocodiles," he said.
But Liberal MP Warren Entsch said he would be voicing his concern over the decision with the minister.
"If he came out and said I'm just fundamentally opposed to killing any creatures for profit, then okay, I could accept that," Mr Entsch told ABC radio.
"But I mean, that's not the case. I'll certainly be raising it with him and I would expect the Northern Territory government would probably put in an appeal."
Federal Country Liberal Party (CLP) MP David Tollner said the move "smacks of arrogance".
"Instead of pandering to the cafe-latte city-set and southern experts, the minister should have listened to the people who know what's best for the Territory, not so-called interstate experts," Mr Tollner said.
NT Environment Minister Marion Scrymgour vowed to fight on, and challenged Senator Campbell to visit NT indigenous landowners.
She said the NT was a world leader in scientific research into crocodile management.
"We are not going to lay down and accept (it)," she said.
"(This) wasn't about letting amateurs or cowboys go out there and willy nilly shoot these crocodiles," she said.
"We of course are concerned about our biodiversity and the welfare of those animals out there.
"(Senator Campbell) talks about crocodiles being iconic - our coat of arms has kangaroos ... yet we allow millions of those kangaroos to be killed."
Crocodile hunter Mick Pitmann said there would have been safeguards for crocodile trophy shooting and believed the minister's decision was based on "misinformation".
"It's time that people down south realised it's got nothing to do with them," Mr Pitmann said.
"He lives in Canberra - maybe if we drop a crocodile in Lake Burley Griffin it might wake him up a bit."
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=66081