Meeting to address human-crocodile conflicts
25 June 2010
The Sabah Wildlife Department organised an international workshop on human-crocodile conflict in Kota Kinabalu, from 23 to 25 June 2010, together with the IUCN/SSC Crocodile Specialist Group, and with financial support from Danau Girang Field Centre and Cardiff University, Sandakan and Tawau Crocodile Farms, Borneo Crocodile Centre, and Toyo Leather Corporation and Seisa University in Japan. Danau Girang Field Centre directed part of its conservation fee collected from 2008 to 2010 towards the costs of the workshop.
In a statement, Sabah Wildlife Department said it was concerned about the increasing number of human-crocodile conflict cases, taking into consideration that there were 31 attacks reported statewide between 2000 and 2008, resulting in 16 deaths.
Through the workshop, experts were able to discuss the need for population monitoring, land use planning for human activities and the need for public awareness programs and drafted a resolution and formulated new management prescriptions for crocodiles in the region.
Benoît Goossens was given the tasks to chair the session on issues on Crocodylus porosus conservation in its entire range and to facilitate the “Necessary monitoring program of C. porosus” working group.