Local Community Involvement as a Basis for Sustainable Crocodilian Management in Protected Areas of Central Amazonia: Problem or Solution?

Abstract

Amazon floodplains have a long history of exploitation of crocodilians, particularly of large species such as the black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) and spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus). Historically, legal but uncontrolled trade resulted in a drastic reduction of wild populations of both species, which eventually led to the collapse of the commercial trade. In 1967, prohibition of commercial use of wild fauna through changes in Brazilian and international laws allowed caiman populations to slowly recover across much of their original range. Several studies on caiman populations greatly improved knowledge about the species, offering scientific bases for crocodilian management in the wild. Although protective legislation should only be altered using extreme caution, the creation of Sustainable Development Reserves (SDR) at the end of last century made it possible to manage wildlife for commercial purposes, albeit under strict population monitoring regimes. This category of protected area was established to improve welfare of local communities and strengthen their participation in conservation. Along with involvement in caiman monitoring programs, the engagement of local hunters and buyers is essential for participatory management plans. Even with development of SDRs, monitoring of crocodilian populations is still restricted to a few State Reserves, and traditional knowledge of stakeholders has been insufficiently incorporated into management and monitoring activities. We believe that stronger participation of local actors can help to improve the experimental harvesting initiatives that have been carried out thus far by local authorities. Community-based monitoring programs, which reflect local reality, are being developed in a simple and costeffective way. Key word: Amazon, crocodilians, participatory monitoring, local community Resumo A Amazônia possui um histórico de exploração de crocodilianos, principalmente as espécies jacaré-açu (Melanosuchus niger) e jacaretinga (Caiman crocodilus).No passado a caça legal e descontrolada levou a uma drástica diminuição das populações silvestres ao longo da distribuição natural das espécies, resultando em uma extinção comercial. Graças à proibição decidida pela legislação brasileira e internacional do uso e comércio da fauna, nas ultimas três décadas as populações de jacarés estão se recuperando lentamente em muitas localidades. A criação de Unidades de Conservação da categoria Reserva de Desenvolvimento Sustentável e pesquisas científicas permitiram um melhor conhecimento da biologia e ecologia dos jacarés amazônicos e introduziram a possibilidade do manejo de fauna na região. A falta de réplicas nestas pesquisas e seus altos custos ainda limitam o conhecimento sobre o real potencial de exploração comercial de maneira sustentável. O conceito de manejar a fauna é novo para a maioria das comunidades ribeirinhas. O envolvimento de caçadores, associações locais, lideranças e comerciantes é fundamental para elaborar planos de manejo participativos. O monitoramento d...

Predicting suitable nesting sites for the Black caiman (Melanosuchus niger Spix 1825) in the Central Amazon basin

“…Here, we have not included anthropogenic disturbance into the model because the study area represents a sustainable development reserve (SDR), which is based on the sustainable use of natural resources. In SDRs, it is feasible to combine sustainable harvesting programs with conservation initiatives [5].…”

“…In future studies, predictions can be combined with the information on the characteristics of reproductive population (especially M. niger nesting females) in other areas within the Amazon basin where the development (or maintenance) of proper zones for species conservation and sustainable use is accompanied by creating socio-economic benefits to humans. This information can be obtained from the local communities engaged in caiman hunting [5] or providing basic training and support to local residents [15].…”

“…In 2007, the Brazilian population of M. niger was transferred from the species list in Appendix I to that in Appendix II of CITES [3], allowing their closely controlled trade [4]. The current demographic status of this species relies on the intensive management of wild individuals and educational plans aimed at their sustainable use and conservation [5]. However, due to a number of challenges, such as the difficulty of defining suitable conservation areas, lack of funding, and poor law enforcement, all conservation initiatives have been restricted to few areas within the Amazon basin.…”

Caiman hunting in Central Amazonia, Brazil

“…Caiman‐management laws have to be adapted for local inhabitants who should be the principal beneficiaries of sustainable use of natural resources (Da Silveira , Marioni et al ). Monitoring trends (i.e., relative density, size structure) of the harvested population, annual conservative extractive quotas, and preservation of nesting habitats (Da Silveira and Thorbjarnarson, , Villamarín et al ) are needed to provide the information necessary to assess the sustainability of the industry.…”

“…Amazonia is the largest continuous tropical forest in the world; the forest is 6.1 million km 2 and covers 35% of South America (Red Amazónica de Informácion Socioambiental ). This is the only hydrological basin in which 4 species of caiman co‐occur (i.e., black caiman [ Melanosuchus niger ], spectacled caiman [ Caiman crocodilus ], Schneider's smooth‐fronted caiman [ Paleosuchus trigonatus ], Cuvier's dwarf caiman [ Paleosuchus palpebrosus ]; Carvalho , Marioni et al ) and the 2 largest have been historically exploited in this region. Amazonian caiman hunting for the international skin market began in the 1930s and, up to the 1970s, millions of skins were exported to tanners in Europe and the United States (Smith , Medem ).…”