Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) has criticised fishers who don’t dispose of fish frames or bait properly and discard them instead around boat ramps.
Manager of Wildlife and Threatened Species Operations at the QPWS, Frank Mills said Wildlife Officers and Livingstone Shire Council staff had seen plenty of fish frames and bait littering the region’s boat ramps.
“Crocodiles have an amazing sense of smell and they’re attracted to the scent of rotting flesh,” Mr Mills said.
“Every fisher knows that fish frames and bait stink.”
“What we are finding is a lot of fishers clean their catch at or near boat ramps and throw the heads and frames into the water or on the ramp instead of discarding them properly.”
He said this was the best way to attract crocodiles to boat ramps, which put all fishers who used that ramp in danger.
“Crocodiles are no different to any animal that is being fed by people. They can change their natural behaviour and they begin to associate people with food,” Mr Mills said.
“This can lead to crocodiles frequenting boat ramps for a free feed, and when people don’t give them food, they can act aggressively, which puts lives in danger.”
He said fishers needed to properly dispose of fish scraps and unwanted bait in bins at boat ramps or dispose of disused bait and fish carcasses at home.
“Wildlife officers investigate every crocodile-sighting report, and crocodiles that hang around boat ramps can be removed if they are deemed a risk to human safety,” Mr Mills said.
