CROC EXPERT ... true-blue hunter `Crocodile Mick' Pitman
Crocodile protection plan slammed
MOVE over Steve Irwin. With more than 16,000 scalps to his name, 'Crocodile Mick' is Australia's true-blue crocodile hunter.

After 27 years hunting crocodiles in the Northern Territory, Mick Pitman has slammed Queensland's handling of saltwater crocodile populations.

Mr Pitman believes it is only a matter of time before a Queenslander is taken by a crocodile.

Mr Pitman's business manager, Michaela Johnston, lashed out at Queensland's crocodile protection plan, after another saltwater crocodile closed Townsville's swimming beaches early last week.

"They certainly won't do anything until someone is attacked," Ms Johnston said.

"The difference is that our management plan in the Northern Territory is implemented to its full extent. "We have no problems in and around the Darwin area. The moment a crocodile over 1.5m is spotted, it's removed.

"It's very effective, we use harpoons with hooks."

The Federal Government-approved plan for the Northern Territory allows 600 crocodiles to be culled in the wild each year.

In addition, problem crocodiles can be killed by Northern Territory Parks and Wildlife officers to protect the public and livestock.

Queensland Environment Minister Lindy Nelson-Carr has denied there is a population explosion of the beasts.

She said there had only been more sightings because humans had encroached on their territory.

But Ms Johnston said Australia's crocodile population had exploded since hunting was banned in the early 1970s.

Ms Johnston said there were more than 80,000 saltwater crocs in the Northern Territory alone and estimated Queensland's population to be between 65,000 and 70,000.

Ms Johnston said Queensland's plan was 20 years behind and needed an urgent review before someone was killed. "What they should do is harpoon them, catch them and put them in farms."