Conditions for spectacled caiman ranching in Guyana

CONDITIONS FOR SPECTACLED CAIMAN RANCHING IN GUYANA Ranching is defined as "rearing in a controlled environment of specimens taken from the wild". All ranching operations in Guyana are subject to the Laws of Guyana, in particular the Fisheries (Aquatic Wildlife Control) Regulations made under the Fisheries Act (Laws of Guyana, Chapter 71:08) and all subsequent legislation and regulations. All ranching operations in Guyana are subject to the Articles of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (C.LT.E.S.) and all relevant Appendices. Ranching will only be permitted for the Spectacled caiman (Caiman crocodilus crocodilus) . All ranching operations will be required to initiate an ancillary captive-breeding operation in accordance with the Ministry of Agriculture Regulations. 1.0 General Requirements All potential investors in ranching operations shall. 1.1 provide a detailed proposal of the operation, including engineering and architectural drawings and plans, equipment and supply requirements, costing and timing of each step of the operation; in accordance with the details set out in this document. (Proposals will be subject to scrutiny by an international review committee comprising representatives from the C.LT.E.S. Secretariat, LU.C.N. and the Ministry of Agriculture.) 1.2 provide evidence of adequate financial resources for operations for the first two (2) years or until export of the first batch of skins. * Crocodiles bred in captivity are those that are hatched from eggs that came from parents. that are long-term captives. All of the life-cycle takes place in captivity: mating, egg­ laying, hatching and rearing. 1.3 provide well-documented evidence of access to protein resources (on an on-going basis) adequate for the numbers of animals to be ranched. 1.4 provide evidence of the availability of appropriate management skills. 1.5 at the time of submission of the application, post a bond of US$50,000.00. If the proposal is accepted, the bond will be retained as security against failure to perform in accordance with the prescribed laws, regulations and the proposal itself. 1.6 agree to the subjection of all operations to annual international review. 2.0 Sources of Stock for Ranching Operations 2.1 Ranching operations may be stocked by hatchlings or egg collection to a maximum determined by the Ministry of Agriculture. Licenses will be issued annually for such collection. Such collection may be conducted only in approved areas at specified times of the year. Renewal is subject to satisfactory performance in the previous year and evidence that the resource has been sustained. 2.2 No collection of hatchlings or eggs will be permitted in any areas designated "Wildlife Protected Area", or on any land or waterway controlled by the Ministry of Agriculture for wildlife monitoring. 3.0 Incubation 3.1 Incubators must be of proven design, capable of maintaining a selected temperature between thirty (30) degrees centigrade and thirty-four (34) degrees centigrade (within 1 degree centigrade) and a selected relative humidity between eighty (80) and ninety-five (95) per cent. 3.2 Statistics on incubation hatchability rates must be submitted to the Ministry after each incubation period. 4.0 Rearing 4.1 2 Rearing facilities (pens) for animals from hatchling to in length must. eighty (80) centimetres 4.1.1 be of a design in which all the rearing surface may be flooded to a depth of fifteen (15) centimetres. 4.1.2 include a facility by which the total volume of refill water can be added at a temperature of thirty-two (32) degrees centigrade. 4.1.3 include a facility by which water can be sterilised and filtered for organic matter. 4.1.4 be of a design which can be drained in ten (10) minutes and refilled in a similar time. 4.1.5 include a facility by which the temperature of water in the pond may be kept at a selected temperature between thirty (30) and thirty-four (34) degrees centigrade; within one (1) degree centigrade. 4.1.6 be constructed of a smooth, durable material such as concrete or glass­ fibre including the feeding area. 4.1.7 have total feeding edges equivalent in width to the combined belly width of the animals in the pens. 4.1.8 have individual pens with a minimum size of three metres by three metres (3m x 3m) with a maximum of fifty (50) animals per pen. 4.2 Rearing facilities (pens) for animals from eighty (80) centimetres total length to slaughter size must: 4.2.1 be of a design in which the total rearing area can be flooded to a depth of thirty (30) centimetres. 4.2.2 include a facility by which refill water can be filtered for organic matter where the water is not from a well, bore-hole or similar clean source. 4.2.3 be of a design which can be drained in less than thirty (30) minutes and refilled in similar time. 4.2.4 be constructed of a smooth, durable material such as concrete of glass­ fibre, including the feeding area. 4.2.5 have a feeding edge equivalent in width to the combined belly widths of the animals in the pens. 3 4.2.6 have individual pens with a maximum of two hundred (200) animals per pen. 5.0 Export All skins must be tagged by the Ministry of Agriculture prior to processing. 5.1 All skins should be processed to the high quality "wet blue" stage in chromium salts. 5.2 Processed skins for export must be accompanied by tags and all relevant documentation required by the Ministry of Agriculture, C.I.T.E.S. and the importing countries. 6.0 Collaboration for Development of the Industry 6.1 Operators will be expected to provide such reports and statistical data as may be required by the Ministry of Agriculture, including monthly stock returns and hatchabil ity. 6.2 Operators will be requested to participate in conservation programmes, scientific experiments, surveys etc - intended to promote the sustained management of the resources - and in activities intended to educate the general public of the need to manage the resource in a responsible manner. 6.3 Operators will be expected to adopt all necessary industrial and safety practices including those necessary to prevent chemical pollution of the environment. The Government of Guyana will abide by the Articles of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and all relevant Appendices. The Government of Guyana will endeavour to maintain the caiman resource of the country in a sustained manner, beneficial to the country, and undertakes to take all necessary steps to achieve this aim. To this end, the number of railching operations permitted will be carefully regulated and monitored to ensure that the operations have no significallt detrimental impact on wild populations. 4