KUCHING, Dec 30: In response to viral photos of a man selling crocodile body parts, Sarawak Forestry Corporation (SFC) recently issued a statement confirming that the sale was legal since the seller possessed a valid license to do so.
“Shortly after noon yesterday, SFC Kuching’s Swift Wildlife Action Team (SWAT) was dispatched to Serian wet market where the meat seller was reported to ply his trade.
“The trader was able to produce a licence granting him permission to legally sell crocodile meat as required by law,” the statement said yesterday.
With the current status of estuarine crocodiles in CITES Appendix II, local communities may now get involved in the process of sustainable utilisation of this species either through legal harvest, collection of its eggs from the wild, farming, ranching and trade.
As estuarine crocodiles are still a protected species under state law, any harvest from the wild requires a licence from the Controller of Wild Life.
Anyone illegally involved in these activities shall be guilty of an offence and the penalty is imprisonment for one year and a fine of RM10,000. — DayakDaily
