he
drought at the Pilcomayo River, a natural border between Argentina and Paraguay,
was used by the Paraguayan Authorities to kill at least 10,000 caimans in order
to trade their skins in the international market, ignoring international rules
applying to this CITES protected species
Paraguay shares with Argentina, particularly at the Pilcomayo River, caiman
populations of two species: The Broad-nosed caiman (Caiman latirostris,
CITES Appendix I) and Spectacled Caiman (Caiman yacare, CITES Appendix
II). Both species have recovered spectacularly during the last decade because of
controls that both countries have carried out to reduce illegal trade. The
current situation of both populations will allow these countries to develop
sound management programmes in order to use both species in a sustainable
manner.
"What Paraguay is doing now is very worrying, since the governmental
authorities are using the low level of Pilcomayo's waters as an excuse to allow
massive hunting to obtain skins of animals that they say 'will died
anyway'...", said Obdulio Menghi, President of Fundación Biodiversidad -
Argentina.
Undoubtedly, the rational use of both caimans in Argentina and Paraguay could
be beneficial for local communities and particularly for the conservation of
these animals and their habitat. However, in order to accomplish this, it is
necessary to develop solid management plans based on good scientific data and
trade control systems.
Obdulio Menghi concluded "The current situation in Paraguay puts at risk
any attempt to develop management programmes for both species. We hope that the
IUCN/Crocodile Specialist Group, which was duly alerted on what is happening in
the Paraguayan border of the Pilcomayo River, will take the necessary steps to
correct this worrying situation and to recommend prohibition of international
trade of the skins obtained from this killing until a full study of the
situation is made in collaboration with other relevant international bodies,
such as the CITES Animals Committee". 
