The researcher Ronis da Silveira, from Inpa (National Amazon Research Institute) defends the managed amazon alligator (black caiman) hunt as an economic alternative for the poor people of the region. Nowadays, these animals are included in the endangered species list, but da Silveira says that they are not in risk and that, actually, there are millions of them. The management is supposed to take part on Mamirauá Sustainable Development Reserve, on the Amazon flooded forest, in Amazonas State. Read below an exclusive interview of da Silveira to Amazonia.org.br website:

Amazônia: What is the situation of the black caiman management plan in the Mamirauá Reserve presented to IBAMA?

Ronis da Silveira: For now, everything is going slowly. There is now a law, known as SNUC, which stands for the National System of Conservation Units, which deals with the management of natural resources in the sustainable development reserves, which obviously includes fauna. We are waiting.

Amazônia: If the management plan is approved, will the species be at risk at all?

RDS: In Mamirauá, of course not. Not even the “Brazilian Army” could take those populations to extinction, because in their natural habitat (floodplain) there are an infinite number of hiding places for alligators, which are logistically inaccessible. If there was any risk, I would be the first to speak against the management plan, because I am the person in the world with the most interest in maintaining the natural black caiman populations in Brazilian Amazonia. Obviously not every area has the potential for economically-viable resource management, as some areas have naturally small alligator populations. In these areas, the type of management plan that we want to implement would be impractical. Amazonia is not homogenous, so we have to identify areas with potential and areas where exploitation should be avoided. And we cannot lose sight of the fact that, as well as the black caiman, there are also other alligator species in the Amazonian region, with populations of millions of animals.

Amazonia: Do you think that there is a real possibility that the black caiman will be taken off the list of endangered species?

RDS: If it depends on the Brazilian alligator specialists, yes. Things are already looking favourable. It remains to be seen if IBAMA and society at large believe in the scientists or prefer to stick with theoretical puritanism, which in my opinion is much more damaging. In the meantime, I’ll wait and see. If what we recommended doesn’t happen, I confess that I will be even more disappointed with Brazil’s environmental institutions. In Brazil, we think that to place a species on the list of animals in danger of extinction is a good policy which will protect the species. If we do not change this philosophy, we will become the nation of endangered species, which is not true! On this official list should be only animals in real danger, which deserve the special attention of the government, society and scientists. If we overload this list, we lose sight of the species that really need effective protection. For example, one of the species which is really threatened with extinction in Amazonia is the “Sauim-de-coleira” monkey, which lives in the Manaus region. It is thought that there are by the hundred of these animals in the wild. To put the black caiman, which has a population of millions, together with this monkey, seems ridiculous, doesn’t it?

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