Table 4: Summary of current key Saltwater Crocodile management actions across the Top End Management Actions by Northern Territory Government Park / Town Site Permanent traps Traps when water flow allows Additional Traps as required Regular spot lighting Spot lighting before opening for swimming Visual inspections Water level and clarity criteria for opening Other management tools (eg. floats) Litchfield NP Wangi Falls Y N/A Y N Y daily Y respond to public sightings - additional traps if required indicator float installed Berri Springs salt water / fresh water Y N/A Y Y Y daily Y respond to public sightings - additional traps if required Litchfield NP Sandy Creek Falls N N Y N Y N Y respond to public sightings - additional traps if required Litchfield NP Surprise Creek Falls N N Y N Y N Y respond to public sightings - additional traps if required Litchfield NP Florence Falls N N Y N Y N Y respond to public sightings - additional traps if required Manton Dam western boundary and spillway Y N/A Y Y not closed weekly N/A respond to public sightings - additional traps if required Darwin Harbour / Shoal Bay 19 permanent traps between Woods Inlet and Hope Inlet Y N/A Y Y N weekly trap run more regularly if crocs reported in traps N/A respond to public sightings - additional traps if required Nhulunbuy Ski beach, Yacht club and Town Billabong Y N/A Y N N/A weekly trap run more regularly if crocs reported in traps N/A respond to public sightings - additional traps if required Lake Bennett Lake Bennett Private lake / own traps N/A Y Y Y Up to Lake Bennett management N/A Indicator floats & barrier fencing Douglas Hot Springs Douglas Hot Springs N N Y N Y N Y respond to public sightings - additional traps if required Butterfly Gorge Main Pool and Creek N N Y N Y N Y respond to public sightings - additional traps if required Douglas Daly Tourist Park Douglas River N Y Y N By DDTP Management N Y respond to public sightings - additional traps if required
Park / Town Site Permanent traps Traps when water flow allows Additional Traps as required Regular spot lighting Spot lighting before opening for swimming Visual inspections Water level and clarity criteria for opening Other management tools (eg. floats) Darwin River Dam Dam In process N/A Y Y N/A N N/A respond to sightings by PAWA staff Nitmiluk Gorge Y Y Y Y Y daily Y Respond to public sightings. Aerial Survey / Floats Leilyn Y Y Y Y daily Respond to public sightings Flora NP Entire Park Y Y NA weekly N/A Swimming Not Allowed / Aerial survey / Floats Elsey NP 12 mile Y Y Y Y weekly Y Aerial survey / Floats Waterhouse landing Y Y Y weekly Y Aerial Survey Four Mile Y Y Y weekly Y Aerial Survey Borroloola Rocky Creek Boat Ramp Y Y Y N/A weekly N/A Swimming not recommended/allowed. Saltwater crocodiles present. Town Ramp Y Y Y NA weekly N/A Swimming not recommended/allowed. Saltwater crocodiles present Katherine River Low level to Gorge Y Y Y Floats
Management Actions by Australian Government in Kakadu National Park Site Permanen t traps Traps when water flow allows Traps as required Other capture and removal methods Extra traps as required for target areas Regular spot lighting Spot lighting before opening for swimming Regular / weekly inspections Detection devices Croc detection barriers Other management tools (e.g. floats) Acting on and investigating visitor and resident reported sightings Jim Jim Falls Y N Y N Y Y Floats maintained at various locations Installed as required once water levels drop Free baits (usually pig legs) installed as required at sandy bank areas for croc track detection Y Twin Falls Y N Y N Y Y Floats maintained at various locations Croc track detection barriers installed as required across creek Free baits installed as required at sandy bank areas for croc track detection Y Maguk Y N Y N Y Y Floats maintained at various locations Croc track detection barriers installed as required across creek Free baits installed as required at sandy bank areas for croc track detection Y Gunlom Y N Y N Y Y Floats maintained at various locations Croc track detection barriers installed as required across creek Free baits installed as required at sandy bank areas for croc track detection Y Koolpin Y N Y N Y Y Floats maintained at various locations Croc track detection barriers installed as required across creek Free baits installed as required at sandy bank areas for croc track detection Y Moline Rockhole N N Y N N Y Y Y Jabiru Lake N N Y Harpoon Y Intermittent spotlighting Y
I Parks and Reserves Darwin Catchment crocodile Management zone Boundary Figure 4: Expanded DarwinCrocodile ManagememZone The new expanded area is defined as the wast bank at the Adelaide River to the western catchment boundary at the Darwin Harbour catchment.Existing managemert adions as listedin Table 4 v.i/1be mairtained and additional high risk areas v.i/1be identified and be subjeded to irtensive managemert actions designed to keep crocod1!es to a very .t>w densyin those high risk areas.
Table 1: Stakeholder Responsibilities in the Saltwater Crocodile Management Program 2014-2015 Stakeholder Responsibilities Department of Land Resource Management • Assess applications and issue permits as appropriate. • Ensure compliance with permit conditions. • Collate annual report to the Australian Government. • Compare wild egg collection data with farm hatchling data each year. • Review the Management program for the Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus) in the Northern Territory of Australia. Parks and Wildlife Commission • Remove and dispose of problem crocodiles from agreed intensively managed areas. • Assess applications and issue permits as appropriate. • Ensure compliance with permit conditions. • Issue permits for domestic shipments of live crocodiles from farms within 10 working days. Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries • Ensure monthly returns from crocodile farms are submitted and collated. • Process applications for permits to import/export crocodile skins and products both overseas and domestic within 2 business days of application. • Inspect crocodile skins and products for export and process appropriate paperwork. • Annually audit the hatchlings on each farm to validate data in the monthly returns. • Visit farms to ensure animal welfare standards are being met. • Ensure production data from monthly returns is collated, validated and passed on to DLRM annually. • Ensure each crocodile farm is given confidential feedback every 6 months on their farm production performance compared with the Northern Territory industry average. • Ensure the supply, payment and issue of skin tags for crocodile skins for trade. • Investigate breaches in trade conditions or illegal trade of crocodilian skins or products. • Implement the Biosecurity plan in the event of an emergency crocodile disease outbreak
Appendix 4: Annual Milestone Matrix for 2014-2015 Program Milestone Program Reference Action Officer 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/161 Objective 1 - To facilitate the sustainable use of Saltwater Crocodiles Ensure all harvest permits minimise the possible negative impact on or conflict with tourism, social or cultural interests. 4.1 Restrictions on live animal harvesting. Director, Wildlife Use Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Develop and implement a GIS database to assist with both allocation of eggs and monitoring harvest effort and compliance. 4.1 Harvest ceilings. Director, Wildlife Use Commence Investigate and take appropriate action on all suspected local impacts on the population. 4.1 Harvest ceilings. Director, Wildlife Use Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Instigate adaptive management actions should there be any increased threats to the Saltwater Crocodile and their habitat. 4.1 Harvest ceilings. Director, Wildlife Use Ongoing, review review review review review review review Ensure the harvest ceiling is set in accordance with the provisions of this management program. 4.1 Harvest ceilings. Director, Wildlife Use July - September July – September July – September July – September July - September July - September Assess all permit applications and ensure egg allocation is distributed across harvest regions in accordance with the provisions of this management program. 4.1 Harvest ceilings Director, Wildlife Use September - October September – October September – October September – October September - October September - October Ensure that the annual commercial harvest of Saltwater Crocodiles does not exceed the approved ceiling for each category. 4.2 Permits and compliance. Director, Wildlife Use July - September July – September July – September July – September July - September July - September Assess applications and issue permits under the TPWC Act. 4.2 Permits and compliance Director, Wildlife Use Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Monitor and audit harvest applications, approvals and returns and investigate and resolve any discrepancies. 4.2 Permits and compliance Director, Wildlife Use Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review
Milestone Program Reference Action Officer 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/161 Ensure all permit applications have correct landholder approval. 4.2 Permits and compliance Director, Wildlife Use Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ensure monthly farm stock returns comply with permit conditions and are reported half yearly to farms and NRETAS. 4.2 Permits and compliance DPIF Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Ongoing, review Audit farm hatchlings annually. 4.2 Permits and compliance DPIF annually annually annually annually annually annually annually Objective 1 - To facilitate the sustainable use of Saltwater Crocodiles cont. Ensure compliance with the issue of skin tags and permits. 4.2 Permits and compliance DPIF Conduct random checks on farm stock numbers. 4.2 Permits and compliance DPIF Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Review permit conditions annually and amend where necessary. 4.2 Permits and compliance Director, Wildlife Use July - September July – September July – September July – September July - September July - September Ensure compliance with permit conditions is at or near 100% and addressing permit breaches through warning letters, caution notices, infringement notices or prosecution is at or near 100%. 4.2 Permits and compliance Director, Wildlife Use annually annually annually annually annually annually annually Review and analyse available data to describe changes to Saltwater Crocodile populations and their distribution and publish the outcomes as appropriate. 4.3 Management- focused research. Director, Wildlife Use Commence Develop population/harvest simulation models to provide an additional decision support tool to assess harvest options and possible harvest impacts at different spatial scales. 4.3 Management- focused research. Director, Wildlife Use Commence
Milestone Program Reference Action Officer 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/161 Objective 2 - To promote community awareness and public safety Analyse the risk of areas where human interaction with crocodiles may occur and prepare options for the appropriate level of management actions. Risk Assessment Director, Wildlife Use Commence Analyse problem crocodile capture data to assess trends and identify areas of increasing risk to humans. Risk Assessment Director, Wildlife Use Commence Develop and implement a ‘CROCWISE’ plan to educate and heighten the awareness of the dangers of crocodiles in the Northern Territory’s waterways. Risk Assessment Marketing and Communications Commence Issue permits to remove problem crocodiles as necessary and appropriate. 4.4 Removal of problem crocodiles. Director, Wildlife Use Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Maintain the program to remove all crocodiles in designated ‘Intensively Managed’ zones. 4.4 Removal of problem crocodiles. Director, Wildlife Use Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing NRETAS responds to reports of problem crocodiles and implements appropriate management measures. 4.4 Removal of problem crocodiles. Director, Wildlife Use Ongoing as needs Ongoing as needs Ongoing as needs Ongoing as needs Ongoing as needs Ongoing as needs Ongoing as needs Re-define the Darwin Harbour ‘Intensively Managed’ zone to include high risk areas of the entire catchment and include the waterways of the Darwin rural area. 4.4 Removal of problem crocodiles. Director, Wildlife Use Commence Continue to conduct public awareness, safety and educational message campaigns through Northern Territory Government staff, effective use of the media and on the Northern Territory Government website. 4.5 Community awareness and participation. Director, Wildlife Use Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs
Milestone Program Reference Action Officer 2009/10 2010/11 2011/12 2012/13 2013/14 2014/15 2015/161 Conduct market research to assess the best communication methods for targeting and informing all sectors of the community about living safely with crocodiles. 4.5 Community awareness and participation Marketing and Communications Commence Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Develop and implement a public safety communication plan. 4.5 Community awareness and participation Marketing and Communications Commence Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Ongoing, as needs Objective 3 - To ensure humane treatment of Saltwater Crocodiles Ensure the requirements of the Code of Practice are a condition on all permits and that a copy of the Code is distributed to all new permit holders 4.6 Animal welfare Director, Wildlife Use Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ensure all successful permit applicants are competent to comply with the relevant animal welfare standards. 4.6 Animal welfare Director, Wildlife Use July - September July – September July – September July – September July - September July - September Ensure all crocodile farms meet animal welfare standards. 4.6 Animal welfare DPIF Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Inspect farms regularly to ensure animal welfare standards are met. 4.6 Animal welfare DPIF Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Ongoing Investigate and take appropriate action on any suspected breaches of the Animal Welfare Act or the Code of Practice. 4.6 Animal welfare Director, Wildlife Use Ongoing as needs Ongoing as needs Ongoing as needs Ongoing as needs Ongoing as needs Ongoing as needs Ongoing as needs Objective 4 - To monitor and report on the impact of the harvest of Saltwater Crocodiles Continue the population survey program for Saltwater Crocodiles as stipulated in this program. 4.7 Monitoring Director, Wildlife Use Commence June- September Review June- September Review June- September Review June- September Review June- September Review June- September Analyse and assess the results of the survey program and implement any resulting management recommendations. 4.7 Monitoring Director, Wildlife Use July - September July – September July – September July – September July - September July - September