NT Cattlemen’s Association calls for dedicated ‘stock squad’ after horrific poaching
TROPHY hunting of buffalo has led to calls for a dedicated team within NT Police to crack down on ruthless poachers.
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THERE are calls for a dedicated team of police investigators to tackle illegal poaching and trophy hunting on Aboriginal land and private graziers’ properties.
It follows the release of shocking images on Wednesday that show buffalo being hunted and beheaded by poachers in central Arnhem Land , on Aboriginal land, without permission.
The horrifying pictures prompted NT Cattlemen’s Association (NTCA) chief executive Ashley Manicaros to yesterday call for the NT Police to establish a dedicated team.
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“It is events like this that has the NTCA and the NLC (Northern Land Council) both agreeing that the need for a stock squad or a rural crime squad is critical,” Mr Manicaros said.
“The buffalo represent economic value to the landholder – in this instance a traditional owner. This is no different to a pastoralist losing cattle through theft or random killing,” he said.
“We need a deterrent, and a rural crime squad is the type of vehicle to do it.”
Mr Manicaros said the NTCA and NLC were in agreement of the need for a stock squad or rural crime squad.
He said the reports of unregulated trophy killings in central Arnhem Land in recent days needed to be investigated and, if possible, prosecuted.
The NLC on Wednesday warned illegal hunters to leave Aboriginal land immediately.
“This shameless disregard for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal law has got to stop and stop right now,” NLC chairman Samuel Bush-Blanasi said.
“They drove onto sacred sites, shot and beheaded valuable trophy buffalo and left their carcasses to rot,” Mr Bush-Blanasi said.
The NLC said it had established a “compliance unit” to investigate any illegal activity.
NT Police did not respond to a request for comment.
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The Mimal Land Management on Wednesday urged people to respect the wishes of traditional owners, saying it was illegal to hunt on Aboriginal land.
Traditional custodian Robert Redford said he had stumbled upon a group of four poachers near his outstation.
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