Calls for crocodile cull in Australia

There are calls for a review of crocodile management in the Kimberley region of Western Australia (WA) with some locals saying culling needs to be done around towns before there is another fatality, local press reported on Monday.

Crocodile attacks remain rare in WA's north, and there has not been a death recorded since 1987.

But the most comprehensive survey of the crocodile population in more than 30 years has found their numbers have tripled in the major breeding rivers, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported.

Broome deputy shire president Harold Tracey said it was time for a large-scale removal of the reptiles from waterways around the towns of Broome, Derby and Kununurra.

"I think it's only a matter of time before we do have a fatality, purely from croc numbers and they're getting a lot more bold," he said.

"We've got to keep in mind we can't keep putting human life at risk, or putting a crocodile's life as more important than a human life.

"I think at the end of the day, the decision will come down to whether we cull or not, and I think the answer to that will probably end up being yes, in populated areas for sure."

Currently, the Department of Parks and Wildlife only traps and removes or shoots dead a crocodile if it is behaving aggressively in popular fishing or swimming areas.

East Kimberley district manager Luke Bentley said there were no plans to change the policy.

"There are no plans at this stage for any crocodile cull," he said.