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 2012. 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 2004- 2012 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 % 2004-2012 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 44 266.66 % 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 67 116.13 % 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 2004 - 2012 CONCLUSION There was a 1839.99% increase in registered farmers from 1990 - 2013 (20-388 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 2000 4-9 September 1994. 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 2000 . Rackal, W. Status of Wildlife Farming in Trinidad in 2012. 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.