The Queensland government is investigating “disturbing” reports of people in the state’s far north trying to catch crocodiles with baited fishing lines, including one who advertised their efforts on Facebook.
The Department of Environment and Heritage Protection is examining three alleged cases of illegal fishing for the protected reptiles over the past two months in Douglas, Hinchinbrook and Whitsunday shires.
The state environment minister, Steven Miles, said one of the alleged cases involved someone seemingly trying to “bolster their social media presence”.
“They achieved this objective, their Facebook posts leading us to investigate their actions,” Miles said. “It’s frankly unbelievable that members of the public would contemplate doing this. It shows a complete disregard for personal and public safety.
“In each instance, the size of the baits used and the places they were found clearly suggests that crocodiles are being targeted.”
The state’s first fatal attack for seven years in May prompted renewed calls from some including federal MP Bob Katter to allow culling of a crocodile population that has recovered after being hunted to near extinction.
But both the state Labor government and Liberal National opposition have ruled out culling, which, according to a departmental survey, has little community support in “croc country”.
Miles said that, in the present mating season, the potentially lethal wild animals “can become very territorial and aggressive, particularly if they feel threatened”.
“To attempt to attract them and to – heaven forbid – try to capture them is both illegal and seriously life-risking behaviour,” he said. “Other members of the public can also be placed at greater risk if crocodiles begin to associate a particular place with food.”
People who feed wild crocodiles can be fined up to $4,876 and up to $27,427 for capturing them under the Nature Conservation Act.
