Scullion backs NT croc hunting safaris

Crocodile hunting safaris could be a huge revenue raiser for impoverished remote indigenous communities in the Northern Territory, Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion says.

He's backed calls for communities to be given the option of selling 20 of 600 permits to shoot saltwater crocodiles to rich hunters, as part of a trial he hopes could be happening within a year.

"There's no difference from crocodiles and flathead except for size and teeth," he told ABC Radio, adding that he believes hunters would be prepared to pay $20,000-$30,000 to catch a five metre beast.