PORT BLAIR: Troubled by non-stop human-crocodile conflicts and negative impact of crocodiles on the tourism Industry, the Andaman and Nicobar Administration has requested the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF & CC) for temporary delisting of crocodiles from Schedule I of Wildlife Act.
According to an official release, the Andaman and Nicobar Administration has taken up the issue of human-crocodile conflict in the Territory through the Islands Development Agency (IDA). Following this, a study group has been constituted with several international and national experts to study the issue and suggest future course of action. Today the study team including two foreign experts called on Admiral D K Joshi, PVSM, AVSM, YSM, NM, VSM (Retd.), the Lt. Governor of Andaman & Nicobar Islands and Vice-Chairman, Islands Development Agency and discussed the issue with him.
During the said meeting the issue of delisting of crocodiles from Schedule I of Wildlife Act was emphasized by the Andaman Administration. Till now as a knee jerk reaction the Andaman and Nicobar Administration has been catching crocodiles, which are a threat, from human-inhabited areas and leaving them in remote habitats but this present step is considered a very prominent step to save people from Crocodile attacks.
In last few years dozens of people have been killed by these crocodiles in Andaman. In April 2010, a 25-year-old Lauren Failla from New Jersey was killed by a saltwater crocodile while snorkeling in Neil Cove beach of Havelock Island, which invited huge negative publicity for Andaman Tourism worldwide.