A Malaysian state will begin granting licences on Friday for crocodile hunting, local media reported, with applicants being warned to operate at their own risk.
The forest department in the eastern state of Sarawak will allow hunters to seek and harvest crocodiles in the wild, the Borneo Post reported.
Those applying for licences were warned that authorities would not be held liable for "any untoward incidence," according to the report.
At least 45 people had already applied for licences to hunt and locally market the meat, the report said.
Sarawak has struggled for a decade to address increasing crocodile attacks on humans, caused mainly by the growing population in the wild, and controlled hunting would minimise "conflicts between humans and the reptiles," the report said.
"We will only issue the licences to those whom we deem capable of assisting us in the management of crocodiles in the wild," said Engkamat Lading, the forest department's deputy controller of wildlife, according to the Borneo Post.
"This will ensure sustainable harvesting of the resource," he said.
Crocodile meat is consumed in countries such as Australia, Japan, Singapore, China and the United States, according to an article by The Daily Star.
Related Story