Calling on everyone to buy alligator leather and products

[SCReptiles]

I would like to make everyone aware that contrary to what your first reaction maybe it is important that we buy alligator leather, meat, products such as shoes and handbags, and even those little mounted heads. As herp lovers our gut reaction to things such as this are negative, but they are important to the protection of the species. Let me explain why. Louisiana is the only state alligator recovery program I am familiar with, so it will be the only one I am addressing. I don’t have exact dates and population numbers, so if they are important to you, you can research them thru Insti-gater in New Orleans. (Sorry I didn’t take notes when I was talking with them.) In the 1960’s researchers discovered that there were about 150,000 Alligators left in the US. They had the foresight to begin a program to help the recovery. They noted that only abut half of Alligator eggs hatched and only a few of those hatchlings make it to 4 feet. (The size where they stop being prey and begin being apex predators.) Their solution was simple. They decided to collect the eggs from the nest, hatch them, raise them to 4 feet, then release them. Well, the program was a staggering success. Within 10 years the population went from 150,000 in the US to over 3,000,000 just in LA. The system uses private farms for the program. For profit firms collect the eggs, hatch them, and raise them for about 1 to 2 years. (4 to 7 feet) After that time, they are required to release a certain percentage back into the wild through LA fish and wildlife. The rest are processed for leather, meat, and products. That percentage is where these firms make their money and thus the reason they stay in business. If we, the general consuming public, do not support the farms then the program will not continue! Everyone knows that I have a low opinion of environmentalists. For the most part I think they are well meaning, but they fail see the big picture and often get the opposite results of what they intend. For example, deforestation of the rainforest. Profits from tree farms reached levels to where many firms where raising trees for profit and cutting of the rainforest was almost halted. The environmentalist crowd pushed paper recycling to the point that it killed the profit in tree farming, so the firms pulled out of tree farming and now they are cutting the rainforest again. I would hate to see this same scenario or a facsimile there of take place among the Alligator program. The environmentalist crowd is lobbying against the processed alligator industry and if we allow them the same success we did with the paper, then we’ll be begin to lose alligators again, just as we are again losing the rainforest. So in closing buy Alligator products.

[munchy]

im actually looking for some nice gator shoes...

[Katt]

Where can one in Canada purchase alligator stuff??

[Paleosuchus]

The more i catch, observe, and study my main intrest in this hobby ( crocodilians) i can not bring myslef to purchase any form of merchandise, just would make me feel guilty. However half my family would love some bags and boots, and i will allow them to purchase it now without throwing a fit.
Jason

[mice4you]

I looked at a lot of info on Florida gator farming last summer and came to the same conclusion. The majority of the conservation effort is being funded by gator farms and ranches. After all, if there are no more gators, these companies are out of their living.

I was also pleasantly surprised at the amount of money that these farms spend on alligator research, both in the wild and captivity. Some of these farms even donate large $$ to local and state universities to increase teh amount of research.

It's funny how something that most of us look at with displeasure ends up being the very thing that's saving these amazing creatures.

There is an old REPTILES magazine article that has a lot of info on a S. American farm. They too have been putting a lot of time, energy and financial resources into bringing the Orinoco Crocodile back.

[wetlander]

I'm not sure about your recycling had led to the further cutting of the rain forest theory, after all, rainforests are usually full of larger, older trees that are too valuable to be used for pulp and paper.

I lived in Louisiana for 8 years and can vouch for the success of the alligator farming/ population recovery strategy. This is one of the few truly successful captive raised/ reintroduction programs that I am aware of. Oh and btw bar-b-qued alligator tail as tasty!

[snakers55]

Only problem with purchasing such items in canada is that alligators are listed under CITES appendix II and importation of alligators live or dead is illegal..

[shaggybill]

Good post, Chuck.

[adamofsound]

sounds like ducks unlimited. protect em after we get our cut, and smooth the whole thing over with an icing of research

[shaggybill]

The point is that the alligators are back in good numbers. There was nothing illegal about the deal, so who cares how it was done and who gets rich off of it. Cooperations exist to <b>make</b> money. If something good comes out of it, then thats great.

[CamHanna]

Originally posted by Katt
Where can one in Canada purchase alligator stuff??

I looked all over the place for gator meat before Thanksgiving... has anyone ever found it in southern Ontario?

[Cruciform]

Hmm. This is a pretty good reason to lobby for opening the Canadian market to alligator imports.

[Will]

Good article about this in Reptiles this month.

I have never seen any gator meat available in Canada, but I tried Croc in Australia and it wasn't too bad.

[Stockwell]

Many Toronto restaurants have gator meat. Lucy's Seafood, Big Daddy's and Louisiana are 3 places where I have consumed gator in the past year... It's pretty much a common appetizer now in Ontario Seafood joints.
Unfortunately it's not really very tasty, and it's always heavily spiced and servered in nugget style like calamari or chicken strips, and could be just about anything.
You should see the look on the waitress' face when I ask to see the CITES paperwork on their appetizers.

[Artemis]

An interesting post SC. Definitely gave me a new perspective.

Art