This was one of the first stories I covered on arriving in Darwin in 1985.
In March 1985 a large crocodile was worrying workers building a bridge over the the Elizabeth River, south of Darwin. Conservation Commission rangers set a trap for the crocodile however the animal was found dead in the trap.
While the conflict between commercial and recreational fishing interests was significant in the Territory, so was the conflict between recreational fishing and conservation interests.
(more…)
Not long after I arrived in Darwin, the city received one of its more unusual military visitors, the USS Pogy, a nuclear submarine.
At the time it was standard policy from the US Navy to “neither confirm nor deny” they carried nuclear weapons when entering Australian ports.
With the more stringent conservation methods being applied in many national parks, 1985 saw conflicts arise between those who wanted to see National parks conserved entirely, and those who saw recreational pursuits such as fishing remain a credible part of that conservation.
