Sarawak delegation in Australia to study crocodile management

KUCHING: A Sarawak government delegation, led by Deputy Premier Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan, is on a four-day working visit to Australia to study crocodiles and adopt suitable methods for managing the reptile's increasing population in the state.

Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the visit, which started today, aims to analyse the ecosystems of crocodile species in Australia, specifically saltwater and freshwater crocodiles.

"We want to study how they manage the crocodiles, when they hunt them, and what they do with the crocodiles, while ensuring they do not violate United Nations laws on killing the animal.

"This study includes examining Australia's rivers and water systems to ensure that crocodiles and other habitats can coexist without the reptiles posing a threat to humans," he told reporters after launching the 10th World Congress of Herpetology (WCH10) here today.

He said the delegation also includes State Deputy Minister of Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment Datuk Len Talif Salleh.

In November last year, Len Talif said that, based on Sarawak Forestry Corporation's data, the crocodile population in Sarawak grew from around 13,500 in 2014 to 24,700 over a nine-year period.

Meanwhile, speaking at the congress's launching ceremony, Abang Johari said that for the past two years, the Sarawak government has been documenting 18 newly discovered species, 12 of which are frog species.

"The others include cockroaches, beetles and lizards. Some of the people helping to describe these new species are in this very room; the WCH10 Congress Director himself, Prof Indraneil Das," he said.

The premier also expressed hope that Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (UNIMAS), through its Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, will play a larger role in biodiversity and environmental conservation, particularly in research, innovation and strategic initiatives throughout the region.

Held from today until Aug 9, WCH10 has attracted 1,400 international delegates from 70 countries to discuss a wide range of topics, such as recent advancements and global conservation efforts related to reptiles and amphibians, among herpetology experts.

-- BERNAMA

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