The suspected crocodile attack of a fisherman in Far North Queensland has prompted calls for stronger control measures as the search for the 65-year-old continues.
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Laura man Kevin Darmody was fishing along the Kennedy River at Rinyirru National Park in Queensland's remote far north on Saturday afternoon when he disappeared after a commotion reported by nearby campers.
Bystanders described the fisherman in distress after a splash in the waters near the Kennedy Bend campsite, the Queensland Ambulance Service said.
An increase in the number of crocodile sightings over the past 10 years shows the population is building, Katter's Australian Party leader and state MP Robbie Katter says.
He said 115 crocodiles sightings had been reported to the government in the past month.
"The KAP believes Queensland's crocodile populations ought to be controlled and in some instances culled, similarly to how kangaroos, wild dogs, cats and horses are managed," Mr Katter said in a statement on Monday.
"They're moving into areas that we have never had them before, and every attack is a strong reminder of the lethal consequences of trying to share waterways with a prehistoric apex predator that sits at the top of the food chain."
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk indicated she was open to doing more.
"If there is anything more that we can do in terms of the crocodile management plans which are worked out with the councils, we will do that," she said on Monday.
The claim of an increasing croc population moving into new waterways was supported by fishing guide Kim Anderson.
"Crocodile populations have certainly bounced back," he told ABC TV on Monday.
"I know one particular river from my fishing inspector days in the '80s and '90s that didn't have any crocodiles in it
"Now it has 12 crocodiles, of which three are over four metres in length."
Mr Anderson said there had been a fair bit of flooding in the area Mr Darmody went missing, and water levels were still dropping.
"I would imagine that with the amount of water that's coming down there at the moment, that's probably reduced the distance between your normal safe area and the water."
Australian Associated Press
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