Family want killer crocodile put down

Photo / Herald on Sunday

The family of a young Solomon Islands man taken by a crocodile have called on the government to revoke the ban on killing the dangerous reptiles.

The Solomon Express newspaper reports Jacob West, aged in his 20s, died early Friday morning in the Russell Islands region after receiving serious wounds from a crocodile attack.

Oliver Salepuka told the Express, West and his uncle were on a night fishing trip when attacked.

West fought back to free himself from the crocodile but received serious bites to his head and later died in the Pepesala Clinic hospital, Mr Salepuka said.

Mr Salepuka said another man had been attacked near the same site three years ago and the government must lift the ban on killing crocodiles because there were more victims every year.

The Solomon Star newspaper reported in January that people from Makwanu district in the Lau Lagoon of North Malaita were worried about increasing crocodiles numbers seen in rivers.

Niuleni residents and villagers from surrounding islands are now fearful of paddling up the Takwea and U'ufu rivers on the mainland because of the increasing number of crocodiles being spotted.

In July 2007 John Tokasi, from Koli village on the island of Guadalcanal, survived an attack by the three-metre crocodile.

The Solomon government's concerns about dwindling crocodile populations led to an export ban in the late 90s.

But more recently the rising crocodile population has become a major concern linked to the 2003 deployment of Australian-led Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands (RAMSI).

RAMSI was invited to the Solomons to restore calm after years of ethnic tension and fighting between different regions.

But by 2004 after a successful RAMSI disarmament campaign an unusual downside was created - a thriving crocodile population.

- AAP