CROCODILE SPECIALIST GROUP NEWSLETTER VOLUME 28 No. 2 • APRIL 2009 - JUNE 2009 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://iucncsg.org/ GROUP ph1/modules/Publications/newsletter.html”. Annual subscriptions for hard copies of the CSG Newsletter may be made by cash ($US40), credit card ($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://iucncsg.org/ph1/modules/Publications/ newsletter.html”. All CSG communications should be addressed to: CSG Executive Office, PO Box 530, Sanderson NT 0813, Australia. VOLUME 28 Number 2 Fax: (61) 8 89470678. E-mail: [email protected]. APRIL 2009 – JUNE 2009 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 2007-2009 (listed below). Professor Grahame Webb PO Box 530, Sanderson, 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 & All Japan PO Box 530, Sanderson, NT 0813, Australia Reptile Skin and Leather Association, Tokyo, Japan. Heng Long Leather Co. Pte. Ltd., Singapore. Roggwiller Tannery of Louisiana Inc. and Tanneries des Printed by: Uniprint NT Cuirs, France. Charles Darwin University, NT 0909, Australia Singapore Reptile Skin Trade Association, Singapore. D. & J. Lewkowicz, France Croco et Cie-Inter Reptile, Paris, France. COVER PHOTOGRAPH: New Guinea Freshwater Crocodile, Friends ($3000 - $15,000) Crocodylus novaeguineae. Photograph: Jack Cox. Mainland Holdings, Lae, Papua New Guinea. Enrico Chiesa, Italhide S.R.L., Milan, Italy. Luis Martinez, Caicsa S.A. Colombian Reptiles, Colombia. REA Kaltim Plantations PT, Indonesia. EDITORIAL POLICY: All news on crocodilian conservation, Reptilartenschutz e. V., Offenbach, Germany. research, management, captive propagation, trade, laws and Thai Animal Skin & Hide Industrial Co. Ltd. and United regulations is welcome. Photographs and other graphic materials Leather Product Co. Ltd., Thailand. are particularly welcome. Information is usually published, as Wildlife Conservation Society, New York, USA. submitted, over the author’s name and mailing address. The editors Zambia Crocodile Farmer’s Association, Zambia. also extract material from correspondence or other sources and these items are attributed to the source. If inaccuracies do appear, please call them to the attention of the editors so that corrections can be Supporters ($1000 - $3000) published in later issues. The opinions expressed herein are those of St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park, St. Augustine, the individuals identified and are not the opinions of CSG, the SSC FL, USA. or the IUCN unless so indicated. Gordon-Choisy S.A., France. Terry Cullen, Cullen Vivarium, Milwaukee, WI, USA. 2 Phillip Cunliffe-Steel, New Zealand/USA. Species Recovery Planning Workshop at the Vishwa Yuvak Indonesian Crocodile Farmer’s Association, Indonesia. Kendra (Youth) Hostel, New Delhi, India, on 22-24 June Miroslav Prochazka, Zoo Protivin, Czech Republic. 2009. Some 24 people participated in the workshop, including Shark Reef Aquarium at Mandalay Bay, NV, USA. representatives from Government, NGOs, researchers, GCA Pan American Leathers Inc., USA. and the CSG. Tom Dacey attended and Perran Ross facilitated Jorge Saieh, Zooben, Colombia. with assistance of Ravi Chellam (WCS-India). George Saputra, Jakarta, Indonesia. Singapore Zoo, Singapore. Samuel Martin and Christine Lippai attended a preliminary Tuttle Charitable Trust, USA. meeting in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, to discuss logistics Yosapong Temsiripong, Sriracha Moda, and Crocodile and arrangements for the 2nd CSG West Africa Sub-regional Management Association of Thailand. meeting, scheduled to be held in Nazinga Game Ranch, Burkina Utairatch Crocodile Farm and Zoo, Thailand. Faso, 23-27 November 2009. Vermillion Gator Farms, Inc., Abbeyville, LA, USA. Work on the proposed update of the CSG Status, Survey and Contributors ($250 - $1000) Conservation Action Plan is moving, but slowly. Authors of Audubon Nature Institute, New Orleans, LA, USA. the outstanding species accounts are requested to get their Brevard Zoo Animal Keepers, Melbourne, FL, USA. information to Colin Stevenson or the Executive Officer as a Broome Crocodile Park, Broome, WA, Australia. matter of urgency. Cairns Crocodile Farm, Queensland, Australia. Cape May Zoo, USA. Members may have experienced some recent difficulties Crocodile Farmers Association of Indonesia, Jakarta, with accessing the CSG website. This was occasioned with Indonesia. the return of Akira Matsuda to Japan after spending 3 years Crocodopolis, USA. in Australia. The website has been updated and is now back Simone Comparini, Pantera S.R.L., S. Croce s/Arno, Italy. on line. Vic Mercado, Microlab, Philippines. Reptel Leather Goods, Madagascar. The Executive Officer sent out annual letters of requests to Singapore Zoo, Singapore. CSG donors, whose support to the CSG is critical to its ability Virginia Aquarium, Virginia Beach, VA, USA. to operate, particularly in these difficult economic times. Yee Tai Leather Enterprise Ltd., Hong Kong. I am personally very grateful to everyone who has made a contribution, past and present. The CSG remains an active and innovated group of volunteers, who do a great deal to assist Editorial the conservation, management and sustainable use of world The CSG Student Research Assistance Scheme continues crocodilians. to grow, with a further 6 grants approved: Gisela Poletta (Argentina), Lizette Bekker (South Africa), Rheyda Hinlo The 58th meeting of the CITES Standing Committee will be (Phillipines), Mike Vandewedge (USA), Roberta Rocha da held in Geneva, Switzerland, on 6-10 July 2009. The following Silva Leite and Ricardo Freitas Filho (Brazil). This brings items of interest to the CSG are on the agenda: (a) Illegal trade the total to 15 grants to date, which means 15 post-graduate in C. niloticus from Madagascar; (b) Trade in crocodilian students doing research on crocodilians rather than other specimens (control and marking); and (c) Personal and species. household effects. Several CSG members will be in attendance, including Christine Lippai, Hank Jenkins and Don Ashley. CSG has commenced the morphometric project in Colombia, in collaboration with Colombian farmers and reseachers. Matt The proposed Sabah HCC Workshop to be held in Kota Brien (WMI) completed the first set of measurements on 245 Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, has now been re-scheduled to early Caiman crocodilus fuscus in June. The aim is to provide an 2010. For further information please contact Silvester Saimin, objective method of predicting the size of crocodile from Sabah Wildlife Department ([email protected]). skins, flanks or even products. Colombia imposes a maximum size limit on exported skins, and has requested the Parties to I am also proposing to hold a strategic CSG Executive Meeting CITES to assist them in detecting illegal trade. The results of in Darwin, Australia, in mid-October 2009. The last one was the morphometric study will assist that process. held immediately before the Bolivia working meeting and it proved very valuable indeed. It was a chance to discuss and California Senate Bill 609, extending the sunset clause on the review the strengths and weaknesses of crocodile conservation sale of crocodilian products in California through to 2015, around the world. In the long-term, we need to ensure the CSG received a majority vote of the full Assembly and now moves itself is economically sustainable. Through the Executive to the Governor for enactment. This is a truly remarkable Officer, I will seek the views of senior members of the CSG effort of real conservation significance, not just in the USA but Steering Committee before we meet, but any CSG members around the world. My personal congratulations to all involved, are entitled through Tom to raise issues they feel should be particularly Don and Pam Ashley. addressed by the Executive. The Gharial Conservation Alliance (GCA) held a Gharial Pre- Professor Grahame Webb, CSG Chairman. 3 Recession-proof Conservation: Is This Bear States, to businessmen buying $3000 handbags in Parisian Market a Crocodile Fiesta or a Firing Squad? boutiques. Yet, crocodilian leather products remain relatively luxurious in each market segment, being at the How can we expect this global financial crisis to affect upper reaches of the value proposition on like-for-like the crocodilian leather industry and conservation? products in its price range. Otherwise the profiles differ among segments in supply, demand, retail location,