KUCHING: The Sarawak government seeks to learn from Australia on managing the crocodile population in the state.
 
Sarawak Premier, Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri (Dr) Abang Abdul Rahman Zohari Tun Datuk Abang Openg said this step is crucial for controlling the population and hunting methods of crocodiles to ensure compliance with United Nations (UN) regulations.
 
On this matter, he informed that a delegation led by Sarawak Deputy Premier, Datuk Amar Awang Tengah Ali Hasan will depart for Australia tonight.
 
"The Sarawak government wants to learn how to handle the crocodile population in a manner that does not conflict with UN regulations, which consider crocodiles as an endangered species.
 
"Therefore, we wish to understand how Australia manages its crocodile population. If they cull (kill) these animals, we want to know how they carry it out," he said.
 
He said this when met by reporters after the launch of the 10th World Congress of Herpetology (WCH10) at the Borneo Convention Centre Kuching (BCCK) on Monday.
 
Earlier, in his speech, Datuk Patinggi Abang Zohari noted that the Sarawak River is now filled with crocodiles, and the Sarawak delegation will visit Australia to study the ecosystem and crocodile management methods in that country.
 
"The rivers in Sarawak are now teeming with crocodiles. We want to study the ecosystem and how Australia manages crocodiles," he said.
 
Previously, Sarawak Deputy Minister for Urban Planning, Land Administration and Environment, Datuk Len Talif Salleh revealed that the crocodile population in Sarawak has nearly doubled to approximately 25,000 over nine years. -UKASnews