Croc hunters have gone home

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THAT’S IT FOR NOW: Nazari (second left) speaking to the press at the operation centre in Kabong.

Commercial trade for culled crocs calls for amendment to prevent waste and cover cost

KABONG,Betong: After spending RM3,000 and four chilling nights along Sungai Seblak, a tributary of the mighty Batang Lupar, the crocodile culling operation was called off yesterday as planned.

Sarawak Administrative Officer in Kabong, Nazari Bujang, told reporters yesterday that a comprehensive report on the operation would be made so that future operations would be better managed and coordinated.

“This operation is the first of its kind undertaken at Sungai Seblak. Since the start of the operation last Monday, we have learnt a lot. We surely want to have a more effective plan and strategies to catch or kill these salt water reptiles (Crocodylus porosus) in future operations,” he said.

The operation was launched as the menacing beasts had been terrorising the riverine inhabitants of Kampung Emplam for years.

It is believed to have mauled a villager, Khamis Achong, in 2007 and Mankay Goheh on May 22.

On the second night of the culling operation, the 28-men hunting team comprising personnel from the police, Fire and Rescue Department, Rela and District Office, shot four crocodiles.

But thus far, only one carcass had been recovered. Two local fishermen spotted the more than nine feet long and one foot wide carcass about 3pm last Wednesday.

Although the operation has been called off, the licence to cull crocodiles at Sungai Seblak is valid until Sept 21.

This means that the villagers could still hunt for them but must inform the authority accordingly.

Nazari, who spoke on behalf of Julaihi Kadir (Saratok district officer and chairman of the operation), advised the villagers to take extra care during hunting trips as the risk was “very high”.

“Don’t be too emotional on this matter. Be rational and work closely with the district office and the police so that they can give ample guidance and supervision.”

He reminded the villagers that they could only go for those which were no less than nine feet long.

“Villagers who want to venture into Sungai Seblak to fish can now do so as the ‘red flag’ (sign of the operation) has been removed.”

On another matter, Nazari hoped that the people of Kampung Emplam would use the new road built by the government and not to rely too much on river transportation.

In addition to that, the government had also helped to open up plantation and padi planting schemes in the area so that the people did not have to depend too much on the crocodile-infested river for their livelihood. Meanwhile, a proposal would be put forward to amend the Wildlife Ordinance; calling for a clause to be included for commercial culling of crocodiles.

Under the amendment, anyone having a permit would be allowed to sell for commercial trade the parts or skin of the culled crocodiles.

According to Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) Sdn Bhd general manager Wilfred Landong, the present ordinance which did not have a clause for commercial culling, the carcasses of crocodiles that had been killed would be disposed.

“We will propose to the government to amend the Wildlife Ordinance to put a clause of commercial culling of crocodiles which under the proposed amendment, will allow anyone who has been given a permit to kill crocodiles can sell the parts and skin for commercial trade,” Wilfred said when met yesterday.

He, however, did not disclose when the proposal would be made. He also said that permit to cull crocodiles would only be given if their population was high in a particular area- an index of three crocodiles per kilometre.

When the index level had been reached, SFC would have to find ways to manage the population and culling was among the options, he said.

The permit to kill the crocodiles would be issued by Forest Department, he explained.

He said in the case of the operation to hunt crocodiles in Sungai Seblak, a survey had been conducted and it was found that the index of the crocodile population in the area was between 2.9 and 3.1 per kilometre.

“The culling of crocodiles in the river is something that we don’t want to do,” he said, stressing that the operation was carried out after taking into account several considerations and was at the request of the local community.

He also said that personally he would not want the operation to be carried out, but other ways to manage the sensitivity of the locals had to be found.