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The vicuña in Argentina
CONSERVATION A R O U N D THE WORLD
THE VICUNA IN ARGENTINA
The Vicufia (Vicunga vicunga), which possesses the finest wool in the world, may be on its way to extinction because of the merciless hunting to which it has been exposed. The picture in Argentina is not better than that in its three sister-countries (Chile, Peru, and Bolivia) which also still count this camellid (Fig. 1) among their fauna. In Argentina the five Provinces of San Juan, La Rioja, Catamarca, Salta and Jujuy, have suitable habitat for this graceful animal, and 30 or even 20 years ago huge troops of Vicufia were to be seen roaming the high plains of the Andean Cordillera. Today it is believed that there are no more than 3,000 individuals distributed throughout their entire Argentinian habitat. This is due mainly to indiscriminate hunting to procure the valuable wool; the actions of poachers and of the more affluent middlemen also have their effects.
Fig. 1.
Although the national legislation, and also the provincial ones, protect the fauna in general, and the Vicufia especially, they are not implemented and not respected. The high prices of the products provide the incentive to disregard and defy the controls and continue with the poaching, fur-trade, and traffic in Vicufia products, for any price and at any risk. The methods and contacts of this market are the same as that of the Chinchilla (extinct for similar reasons in its natural habitat), to mention just one other example from Argentina. The lack of official and private interest in the faunistic resources, the lack of ecological knowledge, and the economic implications, all add to the desperate situation of the wild fauna. Fortunately some voices in time began clamouring for the rights of the wildlife; though at first they were weak in the midst of irrationality, later they became stronger and stronger--not only because of their intransient truth, but also because of their evident
The graceful camellid Vicunga vicunga in captivity in the Province of San Juan, Argentina.
224 Biological Conservation, Vol. 5, No. 3, July 1973--O Applied Science Publishers Ltd, England, 1973--Printed in Great Britain
225
Conservation Around the Worm importance. In Peru, as is well known, Felipe Benavidez worked hard and selflessly from the beginning of the campaign to save the Vicufia. Fortunately for Argentina, somebody has taken up the flame lit by Benavidez-Dalmiro J. Cutillo, expert in fauna conservation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Argentina. First he became known for his participation in the 'Operation Venado', in which the last representatives of Pampas Deer( Ozotoceros bezoarticus) were saved. Later on this consciencious public employee successfully encouraged the government of the Province of San Juan to follow the recommendations of the First International Technical Meeting to Conserve the Vicufia, which was held in Lima, Peru, in December 1971. Together with his co-workers he managed to interest different sectors of the government and public to consider seriously the situation of the Vicufia. As he himself has pointed out, one has to prevent by all means the killing of 'the goose which lays the golden egg'. In June 1972 San Juan called a meeting in which all the five Argentinian provinces which still possess Vicufias in their territories were represented. The national government sent a delegation of five experts, headed by Cutillo. The results of the meeting were promising, as the provinces formally agreed to operate in a coordinated and harmonious manner and counteract everything which attempted to endanger in one way or another this graceful camellid. San Juan has already taken the following measures: 1. Establishment of a reserve of one million hectares in the zone of the high Andes to protect and increase the number of Vicufias. 2. Establishment of a Biological Experimental Research Centre, to improve the currently inadequate knowledge about this animal. 3. Institution of public education programmes. An exhibition was arranged which has already had more than 60,000 visitors. Landowners have become interested in the problem, and several have set up Vicufia breeding-stations. 4. During the second half of January 1973, the first Argentinian Vicufia census was undertaken in the provinces of San Juan and La Rioja, with some experimental capturing and branding (marking) to observe migration. All Argentinian Vicufia provinces have now become aware of the socio-economic implications of the recuperation of this important wild-living species. Something good is happening--something to which we were not accustomed in this country--and even while this little report is being prepared, more news is due. For the first time some light seems to be coming through for the wildlife of Argentina--this
'forgotten resource', which up till now has been neglected as something without importance. A group of young people, taking advantage of the good and bad experiences of their colleagues, are keen to overcome all obstacles and difficulties in the way of creating public understanding of the Vicufia problem. Their work is beginning to tell and it is hoped that the team led by Cutillo will advance without hesitation. The wildlife of this continent and human generations in the future will be grateful for it. SERGIO P. E. GONZALES,
Prosecretario, Confederacion Argentina Pro-Vicuha, Uriarte 2456 8° 33, Pueyrredon 2446, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
LA TENDERIE AUX OISEAUX INTERDITE EN BELGIQUE
Par l'arr&4 royal du 20 juillet 1972, paru au Moniteur Beige du 1 aout 1972, la tenderie est d6sormais interdite en Belgique. Consid6r6e par ses adeptes comme un sport, la capture des oiseaux /t l'aide de filets ou de lacets se pratiquait chaque ann6e pendant la migration automnale du 1 octobre au 15 novembre. La tenderie avait pris ces derni6res ann6es une extension consid6rable dans ce pays. La situation g6ographique de la Belgique sur la voie de migration atlantique, mais aussi sur celle qu'empruntent les oiseaux de l'Europe Centrale se dirigeant vers la plaine littorale de la Mer du Nord, peut fitre qualifi6e d'id6ale pour la tenderie. Une augmentation constante des permis d61ivr4s fut observ6e jusqu'en 1966 avec un nombre maximum de 28,646. Vu l'origine et les voies de p6n6tration des oiseaux en Belgique, les tenderies les plus actives se situaient dans la zone littorale, mais aussi aux fronti6res nord et est du pays. On notait la plus grand densit6 de tendeurs dans la Province de Liege (1.8 tendeur au km2). Le nombre d'oiseaux captur6s fut estim6 ~ cette 6poque de 10,000,000 ~t 15,000,000 par an, selon le nombre de tendeurs et les conditions m&6orologiques. Les derni~res ann6es, ce 'sport" intitul6 'chasse du pauvre' 4voluait insensiblement vers une profession lucrative. En m~me temps les permis valables uniquement le dimanche diminuent au d4triment des permis valables tous les jours (1954:43 pour cent permis dominicaux; 1967:14 pour cent). A l'origine essentiellement b. usage alimentaire (turdid6s, 6tourneaux, moineaux), les captures s'adress~rent de plus en plus b. de nouveaux d6bouch6s offerts par les march6s
THE VICUNA IN ARGENTINA
The Vicufia (Vicunga vicunga), which possesses the finest wool in the world, may be on its way to extinction because of the merciless hunting to which it has been exposed. The picture in Argentina is not better than that in its three sister-countries (Chile, Peru, and Bolivia) which also still count this camellid (Fig. 1) among their fauna. In Argentina the five Provinces of San Juan, La Rioja, Catamarca, Salta and Jujuy, have suitable habitat for this graceful animal, and 30 or even 20 years ago huge troops of Vicufia were to be seen roaming the high plains of the Andean Cordillera. Today it is believed that there are no more than 3,000 individuals distributed throughout their entire Argentinian habitat. This is due mainly to indiscriminate hunting to procure the valuable wool; the actions of poachers and of the more affluent middlemen also have their effects.
Fig. 1.
Although the national legislation, and also the provincial ones, protect the fauna in general, and the Vicufia especially, they are not implemented and not respected. The high prices of the products provide the incentive to disregard and defy the controls and continue with the poaching, fur-trade, and traffic in Vicufia products, for any price and at any risk. The methods and contacts of this market are the same as that of the Chinchilla (extinct for similar reasons in its natural habitat), to mention just one other example from Argentina. The lack of official and private interest in the faunistic resources, the lack of ecological knowledge, and the economic implications, all add to the desperate situation of the wild fauna. Fortunately some voices in time began clamouring for the rights of the wildlife; though at first they were weak in the midst of irrationality, later they became stronger and stronger--not only because of their intransient truth, but also because of their evident
The graceful camellid Vicunga vicunga in captivity in the Province of San Juan, Argentina.
224 Biological Conservation, Vol. 5, No. 3, July 1973--O Applied Science Publishers Ltd, England, 1973--Printed in Great Britain
225
Conservation Around the Worm importance. In Peru, as is well known, Felipe Benavidez worked hard and selflessly from the beginning of the campaign to save the Vicufia. Fortunately for Argentina, somebody has taken up the flame lit by Benavidez-Dalmiro J. Cutillo, expert in fauna conservation of the Ministry of Agriculture and Livestock of Argentina. First he became known for his participation in the 'Operation Venado', in which the last representatives of Pampas Deer( Ozotoceros bezoarticus) were saved. Later on this consciencious public employee successfully encouraged the government of the Province of San Juan to follow the recommendations of the First International Technical Meeting to Conserve the Vicufia, which was held in Lima, Peru, in December 1971. Together with his co-workers he managed to interest different sectors of the government and public to consider seriously the situation of the Vicufia. As he himself has pointed out, one has to prevent by all means the killing of 'the goose which lays the golden egg'. In June 1972 San Juan called a meeting in which all the five Argentinian provinces which still possess Vicufias in their territories were represented. The national government sent a delegation of five experts, headed by Cutillo. The results of the meeting were promising, as the provinces formally agreed to operate in a coordinated and harmonious manner and counteract everything which attempted to endanger in one way or another this graceful camellid. San Juan has already taken the following measures: 1. Establishment of a reserve of one million hectares in the zone of the high Andes to protect and increase the number of Vicufias. 2. Establishment of a Biological Experimental Research Centre, to improve the currently inadequate knowledge about this animal. 3. Institution of public education programmes. An exhibition was arranged which has already had more than 60,000 visitors. Landowners have become interested in the problem, and several have set up Vicufia breeding-stations. 4. During the second half of January 1973, the first Argentinian Vicufia census was undertaken in the provinces of San Juan and La Rioja, with some experimental capturing and branding (marking) to observe migration. All Argentinian Vicufia provinces have now become aware of the socio-economic implications of the recuperation of this important wild-living species. Something good is happening--something to which we were not accustomed in this country--and even while this little report is being prepared, more news is due. For the first time some light seems to be coming through for the wildlife of Argentina--this
'forgotten resource', which up till now has been neglected as something without importance. A group of young people, taking advantage of the good and bad experiences of their colleagues, are keen to overcome all obstacles and difficulties in the way of creating public understanding of the Vicufia problem. Their work is beginning to tell and it is hoped that the team led by Cutillo will advance without hesitation. The wildlife of this continent and human generations in the future will be grateful for it. SERGIO P. E. GONZALES,
Prosecretario, Confederacion Argentina Pro-Vicuha, Uriarte 2456 8° 33, Pueyrredon 2446, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
LA TENDERIE AUX OISEAUX INTERDITE EN BELGIQUE
Par l'arr&4 royal du 20 juillet 1972, paru au Moniteur Beige du 1 aout 1972, la tenderie est d6sormais interdite en Belgique. Consid6r6e par ses adeptes comme un sport, la capture des oiseaux /t l'aide de filets ou de lacets se pratiquait chaque ann6e pendant la migration automnale du 1 octobre au 15 novembre. La tenderie avait pris ces derni6res ann6es une extension consid6rable dans ce pays. La situation g6ographique de la Belgique sur la voie de migration atlantique, mais aussi sur celle qu'empruntent les oiseaux de l'Europe Centrale se dirigeant vers la plaine littorale de la Mer du Nord, peut fitre qualifi6e d'id6ale pour la tenderie. Une augmentation constante des permis d61ivr4s fut observ6e jusqu'en 1966 avec un nombre maximum de 28,646. Vu l'origine et les voies de p6n6tration des oiseaux en Belgique, les tenderies les plus actives se situaient dans la zone littorale, mais aussi aux fronti6res nord et est du pays. On notait la plus grand densit6 de tendeurs dans la Province de Liege (1.8 tendeur au km2). Le nombre d'oiseaux captur6s fut estim6 ~ cette 6poque de 10,000,000 ~t 15,000,000 par an, selon le nombre de tendeurs et les conditions m&6orologiques. Les derni~res ann6es, ce 'sport" intitul6 'chasse du pauvre' 4voluait insensiblement vers une profession lucrative. En m~me temps les permis valables uniquement le dimanche diminuent au d4triment des permis valables tous les jours (1954:43 pour cent permis dominicaux; 1967:14 pour cent). A l'origine essentiellement b. usage alimentaire (turdid6s, 6tourneaux, moineaux), les captures s'adress~rent de plus en plus b. de nouveaux d6bouch6s offerts par les march6s