Title
First managed harvest of Caiman yacare in the Takana Indigenous Territory (Northern Bolivia): Implications for sustainability and management regulations / Resultados de la primera cosecha manejada de Caiman yacare en la TCO Takana (Norte de Bolivia): Implicaciones para la sostenibilidad y regulaciones del manejo / Results of the first managed harvest of Caiman yacare in the Takana Indigenous Territory (Northern Bolivia): Implications for sustainability and management regulations.
Author(s)
Guido Miranda-Chumacero; Agustin Estivariz; Robert Wallace; Antonio Gessy; Celin Quenevo
Published
2010
Publisher
Revista Boliviana de Ecología y Conservación Ambiental
Abstract
Caiman yacare harvest is an important economic activity of the Takana people. The development of the management plan for yacare caiman harvest began in 2001, through an alliance between the Takana representative organization CIPTA and the Wildlife Conservation Society, which supported a student thesis and research on the abundance and distribution of caiman in the Takana indigenous territory. On the basis of this information a management plan was approved in August 2007 which permitted the harvest of 524 individuals. These individuals were harvested from 23 of the 34 water bodies originally planned. The majority of individuals were harvested from lagoons (260), followed by streams (136), Moa Lake (65) and the Beni River (63). Near to 78.8% of hunted individuals had total lengths of over 180 cm, but 100% of harvested individuals produced flanks of at least 90 cm in length, as established by the Bolivian harvest regulations. In the harvest process 136 individuals were reported as injured and lost. As a result of the harvest 11 females were removed of which 4 had measurements above 180 cm. Accidental harvest of 5 black caiman (Melanosuchus niger) was also reported. The presentation of these results aims to guide the improvement of harvests throughout Bolivia and perhaps other countries. We consider that there is a wealth of information which could guide the revision and improvement of the regulation guiding caiman harvest in Bolivia and that monitoring efforts of this and other initiatives will continue improving the program to ensure that viable populations of Caiman yacare continue to be available as a sustainable harvested resource for future generations. / La cosecha de Caiman yacare es una importante alternative economica para el pueblo takana. El desarrollo del plan de manejo para el lagarto comenzo en 2001, a traves de la alianza entre el CIPTA, entidad representative de los takana y Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) quienes apoyaron la realizacion de una tesis de licenciatura sobre la investigacion de la abundancia y distribucion del lagarto en la TCO Takana. Sobre la base de la informacion generada, el plan de manejo due aprobado en agosto de 2007, permitiendo la cosecha de 524 individuos. Estos individuos fueron cosechados en 23 de los 34 cuerpos de agua originalmente previstos. La mayoria de los individuos fueron cosechados de lagunas (260), en arroyos (136), el Lago Moa (65) y el Rio Beni (63). Cerca del 78,8% de los individuos cazados supero los 180 cm, pero el 100% de los individuos genero chalecos (cueros) mayores a 90 cm de longitud, como esta establecido en el Reglamento de aprovechamiento y conservacion del lagarto en Bolivia. En el proceso de la cosecha 136 individuos fueron reportados como heridos y no recuperados. Como resultado de la cosecha 11 hembras fueron abatidas de las cuales cuatro superaron la talla de 180 cm. La caza accidental de cinco caimanes negros (Melanosuchus niger) tambien fue reportada. Estos datos son presentados con el fin de mejorar el manejo de lagarto en Bolivia y quizas en otras regiones. Consideramos que esta informacion podria iniciar una revision y mejoramiento de las regulaciones sobre la cosecha del lagarto en Bolivia y que los esfuerzos de monitoreo de este tipo de inciativas y otras puede continuar mejorando el programa y asegurar que poblaciones viables de Caiman yacare disponibles para una cosecha sostenible para generaciones futuras.
Keywords
harvesting; community based management; sustainability; Bolivia; Rio Beni basin; harvesting; community management; sustainability; Rio Beni basin

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