1. WILDLIFE FARMING IN TRINIDAD
Rackal, C. W1., Mollineau, W.M1 ., Macfarlane, R.A2., Singh, M. D1 ., and Garcia, G.W1
1 The Open Tropical Forage-Animal Production Laboratory (OTF-APL), Department of Food Production,
The University of the West Indies 2Wildlife Section, Forestry Division.
RESULTS
ABSTRACT
DISCUSSION
BACKGROUND
STATUS 2012
NUMBER OF FARMERS %
REGISTERED
362
94.8%
UN-REGISTERED 20
5.2 %
TOTAL
N=382
100%
Wildlife farming has been in existence in Trinidad and Tobago long before the Wildlife Section, Forestry Division, recognized it. The Wildlife farming programme was initiated based on research conducted by a Food and Agriculture (FAO) consultant. The animals initially identified by the section for wildlife farming were: agouti (Dasyprocta leporina), lappe (Agouti paca), quenk (Tayassu tajacu), and deer (Manzama Americana). it contributes to both the tangible and intangible needs of humans. It is therefore important to understand its role and the tremendous opportunities which it proposes, not limiting to: conservation, rural development, employment, food security and if carefully developed and managed, could diminish the food import bill significantly. This project was a collaborative effort between the University of the West Indies and the Forestry Division- Wildlife Section. The aims and objectives were to (1) estimate the quantity of wildlife farmers and their population (specie, sex) in 2012, and (2) to evaluate whether the population of wildlife farmers and wildlife animals reared have decreased or increased during the period 2004 to A list of 362 registered wildlife farmers was obtained from the Forestry Division, Wildlife Section, 146 registered wildlife farmers were successfully contacted, and twenty (20) persons were found (un-registered) during the course of the survey. A total of 166 (inclusive of those found) (43.455%) was successfully contacted. The results for the farming population indicated that 94.8% of the farmers who participated were registered farmers and 5.2% were un-registered. A total of eighty-three (83) registered farmers were found to be active which accounted for 82.2% and eighteen (18) of those farmers found during the survey accounted for 17.8%. One hundred and one (101) or 60.84% of those contacted were actively engaged in wildlife farming with the majority (89%) being males and the minority (11%) being females. The majority or 52.5% were greater than fifty (50) years of age with the greater portion (33.7%) having tertiary level education and 1% having no formal level of education. The majority of the farmers (35.6%) originated in the North-West conservancy of Trinidad. The majority or 97% of the farmers kept their animals for non-commercial reasons (non-sale) and the majority of persons 29.7% (30) kept their animals for the sole purpose of breeding. It was concluded that there was an increase in the quantity of animals held from and a sharp increase in the diversity of animals over the same period, with the majority of farmers rearing agouti. This paper seeks to highlight the history, the trends, the benefits, and to inform and educate on Wildlife farming in Trinidad.
Parameter
Brown , et al
(1994)
1990
Mollineau, et al
(2000)
1997
Rooplal
2004
Rackal
2012 %
Total Registered 20
115
250
362
44.8 %
Total Un-Registered - 2
900%
Total Active 15 81
101
24.69%
Total Animal Population
1024
1836
79.3%
Total Species 12 44 %
Number of Agouti Farmers 13 65 60 61
1.66%
Agouti Population
497
393
587
49.36 %
Number of Quenk Farmers * 7 10
42.85%
Quenk Population 28
143
310.71%
Number of Lappe Farmers 21 22
4.76%
Lappe Population 56 71
26.78% %
Number of Deer Farmers 14
7.14 %
Deer Population 31 67 %
Morocoy/ Turtle/ Galap
400 %
Wildlife farming within Trinidad and Tobago has been in existence long before it was recognized by the Wildlife Section (W.S.) -Forestry Division (F.D.) of the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources (Sankar, Boodoo, & Mahabir, 2008). The demand for “wildmeat” in Trinidad and Tobago, together with a declining wildlife population, has given the Wildlife Farming Programme added momentum. Many individuals have seen a need for more “wildmeat” and based on the present prices of this commodity, it makes wildlife farming an even more lucrative business. In 1984, the Wildlife farming Programme was initiated based on research conducted by a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) consultant, Dr. Emmanuel O. Asibey. The research programme that he developed as a result had the following main objectives:
To develop techniques for the production of “wild meat” for human consumption on a commercial scale.
To demonstrate these techniques to farmers.
To restock habitats with critically low populations.
To obtain biological data for comparison with field observation on populations in the wild. (Sankar, Boodoo, & Mahabir, 2008)
FARMING POPULATION
GENDER AGE DISTRIBUTION
REASON FOR FARMING NEOTROPICAL ANIMALS
Reasons for keeping animals: (Sale/Non-Sale)
STATUS 2012
NUMBER OF FARMERS %
REGISTERED (ACTIVE) 83
82.2%
UN-REGISTERED (ACTIVE) 18
5.2 %
TOTAL
101
100%
OBJECTIVES
to quantify the number of wildlife farmers & their animal populations (species, sex) in 2012
to assess trends in wildlife farming during the period
CONCLUSION
There was a % increase in registered farmers from ( respectively)
There was an increase in animal population in captive reared systems.
The diversity of animals farmed increased
METHODOLOGY
Retrieved Wildlife Farmers Files
N=382
Zoned According to Conservancy
Farmers Contacted
Administered Questionnaire
Data Analysis
References
Brown, C.R., Garcia, W.G., Manick, M., Poujade, S. A Case Study of Wildlife Farming in Trinidad . Advances in Tropical Agriculture in the 20th Century and Prospects for the 21st: TA 2000 Special Issues of Tropical Agriculture. Proceedings of TA September Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Sciences, The University of the West Indies (Published : November 1997)
Mollineau, W., G. Garcia, D. Samayah, W. Kissoonsingh, and A. Procope-Garcia. "The Wildlife Industry in Trinidad: A Case Study Towards Developing a Sustainable Industry Model for a Small Developing Twin Island State (Trinidad and Tobago)." Paper Presented at a conference on Sustainable Development for Small Island States, Sustainable Development Unit. Trinidad and Tobago: University of the West Indies, November
Rackal, W. Status of Wildlife Farming in Trinidad in Undergraduate Final Year Project, University of the West Indies, 2012
Rooplal, R. A Case Study of Wildlife Farming in Trinidad . Undergraduate Final Year Project , University of the West Indies, 2004.