CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Monitoring studies have indicated that the Caiman yacare population within La Estrella Swamp is abundant (>200 caimans.km-1 in some places). Although there is currently no management plan in place for the species, consideration is being given to the wild harvesting of adults to produce leather and meat, and add extra value to the ecosystem. Such a program would encourage the use of the resource in a sustainable way, and provide additional income for local inhabitants. Survey methodologies for this program have been designed based on recommendations of IUCN-SSC CSG for management and use of wild populations, including night and day surveys, and questionnaires to local people. Harvesting quotas (15% of Class IV animals) will be based on monitoring. Each year, before the hunting season, the area will be survey to estimate the numbers of caimans in each size. The harvest season will be timed to occur before the reproductive season, but once the water lever is reduced (September to October). The program will allow harvesting of caimans 200 cm or longer in length, but will accept up to 20% of the quota being animals 180 and 199 cm. Where meat is to be used for human consumption, hunters must provide the program supervisors the animals they harvested that night at a specific point. Animals will be then be transported in refrigerated trucks to a processing facility.

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