MANEJO E USO SUSTENTÁVEL DO JACARETINGA (Caiman crocodilus) POR RIBEIRINHOS: UM ESTUDO AVALIATIVO.

Abstract

The Brazil finds itself in a privileged position to promote the use of wild life as a mechanism for conservation and sustainable development. Throughout the project study area populations of Caiman crocodilus were observed in the middle of the Araguaia river basin, and in the lower Madeira River in RESEX Cuniã thereby assessing the conservation status and structure of existing populations of alligators there. The data on the populations of Caiman crocodilus may support studies aimed at the sustainability of this species. The present work has as main objective the conservation tinga alligator (Caiman crocodilus) with the availability of information to ex situ management production programs and human settlements around the protected areas, reducing hunting pressure. The study areas were selected owing to their location close to environmental protection areas, and have inside human communities that have always used alligators as a food source and so where there is a need to work to create sustainable technologies of breeding and laughter of alligators providing new sources of income for the community, reducing human pressure on this species. Were conducted throughout the study for the two protected areas, eight field campaigns in the years 2007 to 2009. Sampling field trips were conducted in March, April, August, September, October, and November to allow a comparison of the distribution patterns over the years and observe what environmental factors are influencing the distribution patterns of species Caiman crocodilus. 1,549 individuals of Caiman crocodilus were spotted throughout the study in the APA Meandros do Araguaia during the years 2007 and 2008 with the presence of all size classes (I,II,III and IV). In the RESEX Cuniã 476 Caiman crocodilus individuals were spotted during the years 2008 and 2009. Environmental education was directed towards the capacitating of local communities that agreed to participate in the work through training, lectures and technical visits in order to keep the community involvement in the work. The exploration of the meat and skin could be must occur on an experimental basis and accompanied very closely by research. The two areas where this work was carried out have a great potential for some sustainable management, as they to possess in their interior large populations of tinga alligator with all size classes. The results of this study are preliminary and require further complementation.