Manaus Agile tourism and culture of the AmazonThe management aims to ensure that the capture of alligators is developed by controlling the overpopulation of the reptiles.
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(Photo: Ricardo Oliveira)
Residents of the Sustainable Development Reserve (SDR) of Piranha, located in Manacapuruwere in Manaus this week to present the management plan of alligators in the Conservation Unit (UC). On Friday (01), they delivered the document in the hands of the president of the Institute of Environmental Protection of the Amazon (Ipaam), Juliano Valente.
The alligator, in large quantities in rivers and lakes in the interior of the Amazon, can be a source of sustainable income generation for hundreds of riverside families in the state. The meat, appreciated in the cuisine of part of the region, and the leather, admired in the fashion market, can contribute to reducing the pressure on deforestation by being a sustainable economic activity, and reducing the overpopulation of the reptile in local rivers and lakes.
For the holder of Ipaam, the management of alligators is one of the agendas of the new management of the institute, which aims to support production allied to conservation.
"This agenda is on the agenda of Ipaam and we will study it to promote sustainability for families in the region. We will technically analyze the plan, discuss the challenges with the community and walk together ", emphasized. Besides the president of the institute, the general superintendent of the Amazonas Sustainable Foundation (FAS), Virgílio Viana, the president of the Cooperative of Extractive Producers of Piranha (CPEP), José Maria, and the technical superintendent of FAS, Valcleia Solidade, were also present.
Control
The management aims to ensure that the capture of caimans is developed by controlling the overpopulation of the reptiles, but with rules for exploitation. Besides the established quota for capture, the alligators should have a minimum size for slaughter, which will allow the young to have a future life.
"We from the Piranha Reserve see the alligator as an opportunity and understand that it can be a chance for families to generate income, adding value to the community," explained the president of the cooperative, José Maria.
For the general superintendent of FAS, Virgílio Viana, the delivery of the plan symbolizes the maturing of a discussion of several years.
"The management of the caiman is an old agenda that has been worked on for a long time by FAS in the different areas where we operate. It is a reason for great satisfaction to see that the management situation in the Piranha Reserve is mature and we hope that it will have concrete results in the coming months. This will be a historical landmark for the sustainable development of Amazonas", he explained.
The sustainable management of alligators will be carried out with safety and quality procedures. The riverside dwellers will use Individual Protection Equipment (IPE) during the capture, as well as treating the caimans in specialized gutting units. The action is supported by the Income Generation Program of FAZ and by the Amazon Fund/BNDES.
Support
Led by the cooperative, the preparation of the plan had the support of FAS, the Institute of Agricultural and Sustainable Forestry Development (Idam) and the Institute of Sustainable Development of Fonte Boa (IDS Fonte Boa). According to the document, approved by Ibama, the stock of the Piranha RDS lakes is around 80 thousand caimans, of which, if approved, 10% will be exploited.
With information from advisory
