Fishermen in the Northern Territory are continuing to put themselves at risk of crocodile attack despite the obvious risks, a special investigation by the ABC has found.
Soon after police issued a warning that a three-metre saltie had been spotted at the Buffalo Creek boat ramp near Darwin earlier this week, reporters observed people cleaning buckets, washing and fishing at the water’s edge.
The large crocodile had earlier been spotted by police resting on the boat ramp itself.
Casuarina night shift patrol sergeant, Commander Brendan Lindner, said the reptile later ‘took off into the creek’, and he appealed to people in the area to be ‘croc wise’.
However, despite the threat and warning signs in the area, the ABC reported soon after that people were still venturing close to the water.
Commander Lindner offered a simple warning for people chasing fish in Top End waterways.
“The old safety rule is: if you can’t see taps or tiles, don’t go in the water.”
For its part, the NT Government has warned that it must be assumed that any body of water in the Top End may contain large and potentially dangerous crocodiles. It says ultimately how people behave around crocodile habitats is their responsibility.
