# Senator backs croc trophy hunting



## News Bot (Mar 24, 2015)

LIBERAL Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm has thrown his support behind trophy hunting in the Northern Territory.










*Published On:* 24-Mar-15 10:06 AM
*Source:* via NEWS.com.au

*Go to Original Article*


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## bdav70 (Mar 24, 2015)

that's abhorrent


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## apprenticegnome (Mar 24, 2015)

I don't see a problem with it. Crocs are culled periodically by the Government so why not generate some money by legalising limited trophy hunting and reinvest it in the preservation and policing programs. It's a win, win situation which is employed in some of Africa's National Parks and has managed to help reduce poaching as well as bring back some species from the brink. It's about time we became a bit smarter in utilising a wasted resource and turning it into a positive.


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## kingofnobbys (Mar 24, 2015)

I often wonder why we are not allowing the limited hunting and shooting for game of big dangerous potential mankillers like really big crocs can become. 

I hear these types of schemes proposed and there are immediate howls of protest from "concervationists" , most of whom have never even seen a croc in the wild and who have no real understanding of the issue. 

Personally I can't see an problem with limited hunting of crocs, especially those that become a danger to remote northern communities, campers, and fishermen. It's not as if the meat will just be left to go maggoty and wasted, and only the heads and skins will be taken.


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## arevenant (Mar 24, 2015)

I'm not saying this is a bad suggestion; but has anyone bothered checking this guy for brain tumors?
He's the same guy who said we should relax gun laws after the Lindt siege, and said we should domesticate Quokkas...


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## apprenticegnome (Mar 25, 2015)

That's 2 more points of his I agree with. Gun laws in NSW are over restrictive, are poorly thought out in much the same way reptile/native animal laws are and they have not reduced gun related crime, in fact it has substantially increased. As for the Quoll debate which is existing in another post I see great merits for adding them and other animals to the list of animals allowed to be kept privately.


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## Wread (Mar 25, 2015)

I also believe this is a good idea. With the banning of croc hunting their population has exploded as less dominant males and females are forced from their territories and turn up in new and previously unknown locations. This can lead to very dangerous situations. With a limited hunting season the population can be brought back under control and reduce the risks for 'accidents'.
Only my personal opinion, I'm open to everyones thoughts.


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## Beans (Apr 17, 2015)

apprenticegnome said:


> I don't see a problem with it. Crocs are culled periodically by the Government so why not generate some money by legalising limited trophy hunting and reinvest it in the preservation and policing programs. It's a win, win situation which is employed in some of Africa's National Parks and has managed to help reduce poaching as well as bring back some species from the brink. It's about time we became a bit smarter in utilising a wasted resource and turning it into a positive.



Because like everything else. People abuse it


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## Bluetongue1 (Apr 17, 2015)

It always annoys me when journos make passing reference to other not relevant issues, leaving out salient details so that it deliberately casts aspersions on the person concerned. Theyneed to stick the matter at hand. 

The shock horror reactions this sort of statement frequentlyelicits would be most amusing if it were not such an important issue. Crocodiles have increased 20 fold in numbersand 100 fold in total biomass (stated by Graeme Webb) in the just over 40 years since they were afforded protection. There are plenty of crocs and they are still increasing. This is inspite of the fact that hundreds are culled every year as part of the Queensland and Northern Territory governments? management programs. On average, over 200 each year are removed from Darwin Harbour alone, the largest being up to 4.5m. There are also the many unreported removals from pastoral leases of crocodiles that pose a real or potential hazard to livestock. So killing of a controlled number each year is nothing new. It is certainly not going to stop their numbers and biomass from continuing to increase.

Fees from hunting would provide pastoralists with some incentive not to eradicate large crocs and at the same time to help maintain them by maintaining their habitat, rather than employ more disruptive land practices. One valid point of concern at this stage is that trophy hunting will most likely target large, dominant males. We know that these animals patrol and control prime sections of waterways, that also contain a number of resident adult females. Most subordinate males bear ample scars to prove how effective the dominant males are in maintaining ?their patch?. As yet, there seems very little hard data to support what the likely influence of removing dominant males would be on this structured social arrangement.

Blue


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## apprenticegnome (Apr 17, 2015)

Beans said:


> Because like everything else. People abuse it


People already abuse the reptile ownership, should we ban the priveledge then?


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## ThePup (Apr 17, 2015)

arevenant said:


> I'm not saying this is a bad suggestion; but has anyone bothered checking this guy for brain tumors?
> He's the same guy who said we should relax gun laws after the Lindt siege, and said we should domesticate Quokkas...



Agree with both these ideas. Quokkas would make absolutely awesome pets, I'd have one in a heartbeat. 

As for relaxing gun laws, media blows his comments out of proportion because they have a huge anti-nuclear agenda. He doesn't want open slather, everyone carrying a gun. Australia's laws are excessively restrictive, placing unnecessary costs and restrictions on the legal firearm owner whilst not preventing criminal activity. The firearms registry has stopped a total of zero crimes, and assisted in solving a total of zero crimes. It costs millions of dollars a year. If I legally own a firearm and am licensed for hunting, I'm not allowed to go down to the range and go target shooting. Likewise I'm not allowed to stick targets to cardboard boxes and shoot targets on my own property in the middle of nowhere with no neighbours for miles. 

And yes, absolutely allow safari croc hunts. The proposal isn't for open slather on crocodile hunting, it's too expand the culling program already on place, so that instead of park rangers shooting 200 cross a year, rich tourists can. Win, win.


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## arevenant (Apr 18, 2015)

Not going to bother with a conversation about gun control - not the point I was making.
Leyonhjelm is a bit of a nut.


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## Beans (Apr 28, 2015)

apprenticegnome said:


> People already abuse the reptile ownership, should we ban the priveledge then?




Where did I say ban it? The point I was making, was if it is leagalised theres a high chance people will go over the top with it (like they always do)


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## moosenoose (Apr 28, 2015)

I've always believed trophy hunts serves a few purposes. That being it injects money into the area which is good for keeping a finger on the pulse (no pun intended) and general conservation. The two combined can help and maintain good numbers and an element of control. Plus it's good money for local communities. I'm all for it. I'm not into elephant hunts, or giraffe hunts or anything like that personally...but I honestly believe there is a legitimate place for that also. Nothing that is legally hunted under permit is at risk of being endangered or extinct. If there is one element that I truly believe should be hunted to extinction - and that's poachers.


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