OPERATION JAGUAR PROMOTES THE PROTECTION OF THE SPECIES THROUGH LOCAL ACTORS

With the purpose of strengthening institutional capacities of the actors in charge of the control and investigation of crimes against wildlife in the Municipality of San Ignacio de Velasco, where the Noel Kempff Mercado National Park (PNNKM) is located, which shelters and protects one of the key species within the ecosystems it inhabits, the Course: “BASES FOR THE PROTECTION AND CONSERVATION OF THE JAGUAR» was developed, held at the House of Culture of the GAM San Ignacio de Velasco (SIV).

Those participating on this occasion included the Sub-Governor's Office, the GAM SIV, the Armed Forces (10th Infantry Regiment Warnes), the Prosecutor's Office, the SIV Police Border Command, the SIV Protected Area Management Committees (Laguna Marfil, Bajo Paraguá and PNNKM) and representatives of the Association of Management Committees of the area.

The event, which was inaugurated by the Deputy Governor of the Velasco Province and also President of the Management Committee of the NKM National Park, was organized by the SAVIA Association within the framework of the Operation Jaguar Project – Bolivia, promoted with the Netherlands Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN_NL), and also had the support of the ECCOS Program.

Subsequently, with the aim of promoting and strengthening the conservation and protection of the jaguar against very strong threats such as killing and trafficking of its parts, the communities of the TCO Bajo Paraguá as an area of influence of the PNNKM were entered: Piso Firme, Porvenir, Remanso and Bella Vista (this community within the Protected Area), to implement information, awareness and sensitization days on the subject, seeking a change of attitude in local inhabitants, children, youth, adults and local authorities.

The activities deepened the understanding of the Jaguar-Human conflict in the area, with a view to proposing and building local solutions to reduce the threats facing the species, with the hunting of the "tiger" being amplified by its involvement in the killing of animals for food and sale, one of the main economic and food security activities in the communities.

Source: Association for the Conservation and Research of Biodiversity and Sustainable Development – SAVIA