Accept that humans and crocodiles coexist in the same space, says Sarawak deputy minister
KUCHING, May 17 — State Deputy Minister of Natural Resources and Urban Development Datuk Len Talif Salleh today said that humans must accept the fact that they are forced to share the same space with crocodiles, in reply to concerns expressed by a state assemblyman about frequent attacks involving the reptile species in Sarawak.
He said, however, that the state government will take appropriate measures to reduce the risk of such attacks.
“The state government is always ready to pioneer and pave the way in the use of the latest technology in any field to detect the distribution of the crocodile population,” he said in the state legislative assembly here.
He said generally, drones and the Global Positioning System (GPS) are used to observe and record the distribution of crocodiles and crocodile nests.
“Right now, the Sarawak Forest Corporation (SFC) is collaborating with the state-owned Sarawak Information System Sdn Bhd (SAINS) to develop a database application and monitor the presence of crocodiles in real time.
“With this, the crocodile population can be continuously monitored, and the ‘hot’ places of human-crocodile conflict can be identified,” Len told Mohd Chee Kadir (GPS-Kabong).
He said the state government is drafting a new, more comprehensive management plan to protect the human population and reduce the risk of crocodile attacks.
He said these include continuing efforts to conserve crocodiles and their habitats; ensuring the safety of residents is guaranteed; and utilising crocodiles as a natural resource sustainably.
He added among the actions that have been and will be taken are that the SFC has carried out a total of 107 operations in which a total of 95 crocodiles have been caught and 482 eggs have been transferred since 2020.
He added a total of 77 crocodile hunting licences have been issued with a harvest of 133 crocodiles from 2020 to 2022.
Len said the awareness programme has been organised in areas where crocodiles are present and signs warning of the presence of crocodiles are erected in strategic areas.
“Next, in empowering the management of crocodiles in Sarawak, the officers and staff of SFC involved are always given exposure to increase their knowledge capacity and abilities through training and involvement at the national and international level.
“SFC is also a reference agency related to crocodiles by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Crocodile Specialist Group” he said.
Len said as a long-term measure, the SFC will increase collaboration with experts from Australia, South Africa and the United States to strengthen the Crocodile Integrated Management Plan.
