Within the CIPTA, there is a group that has established the “Matusha Aidha” Caiman Producers Association, which has an annual caiman hunting quota granted by the Directorate General of Biodiversity and Protected Areas of the Ministry of Environment (DGBAP). The DGBAP also issues the CITES certificates for the exportation of caiman leather. Until 2013, only the leather was sold, while the meat went to waste. Although it was known that there were opportunities to market it, the hunting areas were far from the markets and the biggest difficulty was preserving the meat in an unbroken cold chain, which was not available to producers. They also lacked the knowledge to butcher meat and ensure complete hygiene throughout the process. Therefore, in 2014 the Norte Paceño Commonwealth signed an agreement with CIPTA and the Wildlife Conservation Society, through which the Commonwealth was able to fund: i) equipment (radio communications, freezers, electric generators, kitchen utensils and other items for the establishment of portable modules for the sanitary butchering of the meat); ii) training (specialists in the butchery and handling of caiman meat were brought for on-site traininng of the association’s personnel); and iii) specific analyzes to assess the quality of the meat obtained. Meanwhile, since the caiman is classified in Appendix III of CITES and its use is part of a national wildlife management program, Wildlife Conservation Society collaborated by providing technical guidance and monitoring field production processes, in addition to the support they had already been providing in the production of leather. As a result, the restaurant Gustu became interested in the process and bought a share of the production.

Until 2013, only the leather was sold, while the meat went to waste. Although it was known that there were opportunities to market it, the hunting areas were far from the markets and the biggest difficulty was preserving the meat in an unbroken cold chain, which was not available to producers. They also lacked the knowledge to butcher meat and ensure complete hygiene throughout the process. Therefore, in 2014 the Norte Paceño Commonwealth signed an agreement with CIPTA and the Wildlife Conservation Society, through which the Commonwealth was able to fund: i) equipment (radio communications, freezers, electric generators, kitchen utensils and other items for the establishment of portable modules for the sanitary butchering of the meat); ii) training (specialists in the butchery and handling of caiman meat were brought for on-site traininng of the association’s personnel); and iii) specific analyzes to assess the quality of the meat obtained. Meanwhile, since the caiman is classified in Appendix III of CITES and its use is part of a national wildlife management program, Wildlife Conservation Society collaborated by providing technical guidance and monitoring field production processes, in addition to the support they had already been providing in the production of leather. As a result, the restaurant Gustu became interested in the process and bought a share of the production.