KUCHING: The Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) has been hunting and controlling the crocodile population in the state, but the operations are kept low profile, said Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh.
He said this was to avoid misunderstandings among certain communities that could lead to negative perceptions.
“For some Bumiputera groups, there are still taboos against hunting crocodiles, and there are also communities who disagree with it as they consider it cruelty to animals.
“That is why even though SFC has been carrying out population control, we do not want to make it a big issue.
“Indeed, action has been taken and is ongoing to reduce the crocodile population and relocate the reptiles to areas that do not pose danger,” he said.
He said this when met by reporters at the Tabung Ekonomi Gagasan Anak Sarawak (TEGAS) Media Appreciation Night at a well known cafe here on Wednesday (Oct 1).
He added that population control efforts are being implemented in collaboration with international experts, including those from Australia, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Florida, and South Africa, as human-crocodile conflicts occur in most tropical regions.
Len said Sarawak has also established designated areas to relocate crocodiles identified as posing risks to humans.
“We understand the threat of crocodiles because many people in Sarawak still depend on rivers for their daily lives.
“Therefore, besides relocating crocodiles, we also conduct community engagements, put up warning signboards, and launched the CrocWatch application to report crocodile sightings,” he said.
On financial assistance for licensed hunters, Len Talif said permits are issued voluntarily to individuals interested in trading crocodile skins or meat.
“So far, we have not provided specific allocations. They may commercialize crocodile meat or skins, but it depends on their own efforts,” he said.
