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CROCODILE SPECIALIST GROUP NEWSLETTER VOLUME 34 No. 1 • JANUARY 2015 - MARCH 2015 IUCN • Species Survival Commission CSG Newsletter Subscription The CSG Newsletter is produced and distributed by the Crocodile CROCODILE Specialist Group of the Species Survival Commission (SSC) of the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). The CSG Newsletter provides information on the conservation, status, news and current events concerning crocodilians, and on the SPECIALIST activities of the CSG. The Newsletter is distributed to CSG members and to other interested individuals and organizations. All Newsletter recipients are asked to contribute news and other materials. The CSG Newsletter is available as: • Hard copy (by subscription - see below); and/or, • Free electronic, downloadable copy from “http://www.iucncsg. GROUP org/pages/Publications.html”. Annual subscriptions for hard copies of the CSG Newsletter may be made by cash ($US55), credit card ($AUD55) or bank transfer ($AUD55). Cheques ($USD) will be accepted, however due to increased bank charges associated with this method of payment, cheques are no longer recommended. A Subscription Form can be NEWSLETTER downloaded from “http://www.iucncsg.org/pages/Publications. html”. All CSG communications should be addressed to: CSG Executive Office, P.O. Box 530, Karama, NT 0813, Australia. VOLUME 34 Number 1 Fax: +61.8.89470678. E-mail: [email protected]. JANUARY 2015 - MARCH 2015 PATRONS IUCN - Species Survival Commission We thank all patrons who have donated to the CSG and its conservation program over many years, and especially to CHAIRMAN: donors in 2014-2015 (listed below). Professor Grahame Webb PO Box 530, Karama, NT 0813, Australia Big Bull Crocs! ($15,000 or more annually or in aggregate donations) Japan, JLIA - Japan Leather & Leather Goods Industries EDITORIAL AND EXECUTIVE OFFICE: Association, CITES Promotion Committee & Japan Reptile PO Box 530, Karama, NT 0813, Australia Leather Industries Association, Tokyo, Japan. Heng Long Leather Co. Pte. Ltd., Singapore. Hermes Cuirs Precieux, Paris, France. Printed by: Uniprint NT Kering, Paris, France. Charles Darwin University, NT 0909, Australia Singapore Reptile Skin Trade Association, Singapore. Species Management Specialists, Canberra, ACT, Australia. United Leather Product Co. Ltd. and Nakorn Sawan Crocodile Farm, Thailand. COVER PHOTOGRAPH: Saltwater Crocodile (Crocodylus porosus), Australia. Photograph: Louis Guillette, Jr. Friends ($3000 - $15,000) Ashley and Associates, Florida, USA. William Belo, Coral Agri-Venture Farm, Philippines. CAICSA, Colombia. EDITORIAL POLICY: All news on crocodilian conservation, Captain Morgan Rum, South Carolina, USA. research, management, captive propagation, trade, laws and Caravel Pelli Pregiate, Castellfranco, Italy. regulations is welcome. Photographs and other graphic materials Conservation Force, Louisiana, USA. are particularly welcome. Information is usually published, as Crocodile Conservation Institute, South Carolina, USA. submitted, over the author’s name and mailing address. The editors Dallas Safari Club, Texas, USA. also extract material from correspondence or other sources and these items are attributed to the source. If inaccuracies do appear, please Ethiopian Rift Valley Safaris, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. call them to the attention of the editors so that corrections can be France Croco, Paris, France. published in later issues. The opinions expressed herein are those of International Reptile Leather Association (IRV), Germany. the individuals identified and are not the opinions of CSG, the SSC Mainland Holdings, Lae, Papua New Guinea. or the IUCN unless so indicated. Phillip Cunliffe-Steel, New Zealand/Australia. 2 Enrico Chiesa, Italhide, Italy. Steering Committee meeting in Siem Reap (24 May 2015). Yee Tai Leather Enterprise Ltd., Hong Kong. “Christmas Croc Fest 2014” took place on 6 December 2014 Supporters ($1000 - $3000) at Crocodile Manor - Shawn Heflick’s facility, in Palm Bay, Barefoot Zoological Gardens, South Carolina, USA. Florida, USA. It attracted around 200 people, and the event Simone Comparini, Pantera S.R.L., S. Croce s/Arno, Italy. raised a record $US35,000 for crocodilian conservation. Los Angeles Zoo, California, USA. Proceeds will support two conservation efforts for Philippine Paolo Martelli, Hong Kong. crocodiles (Crocodylus mindorensis) by the Mabuwaya Porosus Pty. Ltd., Northern Territory, Australia. Foundation and Crocodylus Porosus Philippines, Inc. (CPPI) J. Perran Ross, Gainesville, Florida, USA. (see pages 5-7). The AZA Crocodilian Advisory Group (CAG) George Saputra, CV Alona Jaya, Jakarta, Indonesia. has also agreed to fund Phase I of a CPPI project entitled: St. Augustine Alligator Farm, Florida, USA. “Philippine Crocodile as a Flagship Species for Community- Toronto Zoo, Ontario, Canada. Based Sustainable Eco-tourism Model in Siargao Island: An Virginia Aquarium and and Marine Science Center Integration of Critical Habitat and Species Protection”. Foundation, Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA. Yosapong Temsiripong, “Sriracha Moda” and “Crocodile & In July 2014, the CSG welcomed news that the CITES Ostrich Cooperative of Thailand”, Thailand. Standing Committee had recommended the trade suspension Zambia Crocodile Farmers Association, Lusaka, Zambia. they imposed on Madagascar (2010) with regard to Nile Zoo Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany. crocodile exports, be lifted. The trade suspension was a Zoo Miami, Florida, USA. direct result of Madagascar’s inability to stop wild harvested skins, of all sized crocodiles, being exported as though they Contributors ($250 - $1000) were the products of ranching. Madagascar was required to Cathy Shilton, Northern Territory, Australia. design and implement a series of management initiatives and Crocodile Park, Malaga, Spain. safeguards, which has taken four years to complete. The CSG J.K. Mercado & Sons Agriculture Enterprises Inc., continues to work closely with the Malagasy authorities, Philippines. helping where we can to ensure exported skins are legal, James Hennessey, The Reptile Village Zoo, UK. verifiable, sustainable and compliant with CITES. The Ebey family, New Mexico, USA. Marco Schultz, Germany. There have been numerous reports of crocodiles turning up in the Maldives this year, which is a concern for the tourism industry, which is a central platform for economic Editorial development. Two of these crocodiles were captured, and media images indicated a Saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus A report on the CSG Review Mission to Indonesia (Aug-Sep porosus) and a Mugger (C. palustris) (Maldives authorities 2014) has been completed and will be available on the CSG communicated to Brandon Sideleau that the Mugger was in website soon. The team conducted a limited review of some fact captured in 2011). Anslem de Silva (CSG Regional Chair, aspects of crocodilian conservation, management and farming South Asia and Iran) and Ralf Sommerlad (CSG Regional within Indonesia, specifically: the extent to which Indonesia’s Vice Chair, Europe), are in contact with Government and non- current ranching program and skin exports are compliant government organisations, including the tourism industry, with CITES; options for the conservation of crocodiles in and plan to visit the Maldives in April 2015 to review and Lake Mesangat East Kalimantan; and, the increasing human- report on the situation. crocodile conflict. The report has recommendations, but is seen as a starting point for the CSG to renew its close In mid-February 2015 CSG Deputy Chairman Alejandro connections with Indonesia, and to help where we can with Larreria attended the CITES workshop entitled “Showcasing crocodilian conservation and management. successful livelihoods experiences: assess and address impacts of CITES decisions on livelihoods” in Cispata, The management of Caiman crocodilus in Colombia Colombia. Participants at the workshop included 8 members has long been a cause of concern to CSG members and of the CITES Standing Committee’s Working Group on others, because production through captive breeding is CITES and Livelihoods, Colombian Government, CITES supplemented with wild harvest (ranching and wild skins), Secretariat, staff from the Organisation of American States and this is not permitted under Colombian law. This may not staff, and other international experts. Presentations included be a conservation problem per se, because C. crocodilus is “How to Prepare a Rapid Assessment of the impact of the a highly productive species. But compliance with CITES, implementation of CITES-listings on livelihoods of rural particularly the correct use of source codes, and conducting a communities”, and “Addressing impacts on livelihoods”. wild harvest with no reporting in accordance with Article IV Alejandro acted as a facilitator on the Crocodile group, of CITES, puts Colombia’s program at risk. Following frank, which including a number of the representatives of the positive and and conjenial discussions at the CSG Working local communities currently involved in the very successful Meeting in Lake Charles (May 2014), with both government community-based management of Crocodylus acutus at and industry, a proposed new workplan for the conservation Cispata. and management of C. crocodilus in Colombia has been prepared. It will be presented and discussed at the CSG Alejandro Larriera has also been participating on the CITES 3 Animals Committee’s Working Group on Captive Breeding, which is looking at the application of source codes and in particular the deliberate