size: 7451KB - Crocodile Specialist Group

Skhnfne fim.nfsed .fffgttoF, AUiE lu rittktiPpi.$tt, tt Gtro'
Junare drtgrtd fam, Florldr, us.A, (Ptoto bt F.W. Klng).
The interbreeding ofcrocodiles (C,'o.odyl!r sp.) is not uncommon
in captivity. In zoos and fa.ms around the world known
in nature, thc suppon of conservatton programs must be based
on sound scientific informalion, and this requircs continued hybrids have includcd a.d usx rho,nbifer,acutusx interntedit/s '
polosus x sioiznsis,andrhonbifet x siate^sis (Honegger and
Nations implemenling or planning managemont programs' Hunr 1990). Hybrids are reportcd to be superior for farming and
cspecially lhose interestcd in SYU, should be strongly urged by ranching bccause thcy grow faster, have higher survival mtos'
the CSG !o develop paralel research pmgrams. Moniloring and produce largcr clutch sizes. The hybridization of C.
programs are mosl cfficiently desiSned within the ftamework of porosus a.|,d C . sionensd has be€n actively undenaken al the
an overall research program implemented 10 study the effec6 of Samutpratan fafm in Thailand.
harvesling on wild popula[ons- Becauso research funds arc UnconEolled inte6re€ding may rcsult in the genetic loss of
usually in shon supply, the prcferled me6od of fundrng these particular species. In rhe past this was a concem for C.
progams has usually be€n direcdy from the plocecds of the rhonbd?r ootxms,nCuba, and presenlly il remains aconcem
SYU program. This ensurcs that as lonS a5 the rvild resource is for C . siangnsis. Hybridization for commercial purposes also
being unlized, funds will bc available for nonitoring and raises concems rcgarding how products originating from these
research. However, in order to guamntee thal research program
s arc not unduly pressured by adminisEative concems' thc izatlon of spccies has no conseFatlon benefit whatsoever.
animals,xould b€ classified under CITES. Clearly the hybrid-
two branches of the progmms should relain as much aulonomy
as possible. Bccause crocodilians are such long-lived animrls,
particular attention ncods to be givcn 10 the establishment of
Sustainable Yield Utilization Programs
long-term ecological sludies. Some research pmjects havc
bccn underway for 10-15 or more years (e.g, Louisitui and Broadening the mnservation constituency. One of fte key
Florida. U.S.A.i Nodhem Tenitories, AusFalia) and continue elemenls for the success of SYU management progmms will be
10 yicld imporlant informadon on populalion dynanics. As paa rhe degee ,o which they incorporate local p€ople (McNeely
of long tcnn population monitoring programs, key ecological 1990)- Although crocodilian SYU plograJns can have conservalion
benefits, programs differ in their ability to providc local
data sho ld also be collocted for the analvsis of crocodilian
populalion ecology.
economic incentives, For instance, closed-cycle farming oP
cmtlons only provide economic benefits !o the local communily
Commercial Breeding ofSpecies Outside of in the form of iobs for those who work on the fann Ranching,
Their Natural Range
on the other hand, can benefil a much larger speclrum of thc
local populace and provide a grea@r economic tie to lhe
Wifi lhe interest in commercial farming of crocodilian pro'
cons€nation of wildpopulations. TheCSG mustbecognizant
grams quickly becoming worldwide, fie propagadon of spe.ies
ourside of theft natural rangc is becoming a polential conscrva_
don fircal. Two potenlial problems arc cnvisioned First is the
escape and subscquent ertablishment of breeding populations
ofexotrc crocodilians. To date only onc introduction has been
linkcd to the escape from a farm (C, rn relelii on L\c '#esl coast
of Mexico). However, lhe inroduction o[ cxotic species can
havo potentially dire effects on native crocodilians, and lhc
suggestion lhat introduccd Ca,rn& played a role in the extrrpation
of CrocodJlus fiomby'e,' from the l,anier Swarnp is an
indicatron of lhis.
The second conccm regarding the breeding of exotic species
rs the Dolential elfect il $ould havcondevelopingconservadon
programs based oo SYU. For instance, lhe recent impoiation
of CrocodJlus nilotic s by ^ commercial farm in Blazil
fl-uxmoore 1990) comes at a time when SYU ranching programs
aro being develop€d for Cainan latirostris and C.
'dcare. The commercial breeding of Nile crocodiles *ould be
superior from an economic sEndpoint, but would reduce ihe
economic incontives for developing consorvation-oriented
ranching Fograns. However, not all breeding ofexotic sp€cies
has negative conservation implications. Captive br€eding by
zoos is a good example. The Crocodile Specialist Group has
recommended that cmcodlltan species should not be used for
commercial faming operations outsiale thet historical range
where thosc opentions are located within lhe range of o&er
nalive specics of crocodilians.
Commerciat Hybridization of Species
of the relative conservation values of different SYU prognms
and wherc possible promote those that offer the greatest
conservation benefits,
Reduce profftability of illegal trrd€. One of lho geatest
impedimcn!s !o the successful operation oflegal SYU progmms
is the continued pres€nce of a large illegal tmde in skins
worldwide. In some inslances illegal fado is promoted by the
exislcnce of a legal market which incre&s€s demand for skins.
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