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The Sustainability of Vicuña Conservation in Bolivia

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The Palgrave Handbook of Sustainability

Abstract

The economics of vicuña capture and commercialization of vicuña fiber with a focus on the communities in the Apolobamba Reserve of Bolivia was evaluated in this case study. Socio-economic data were collected via a series of workshops and interviews with families living within the Apolobamba Reserve. Additional data on vicuña population numbers and markets for other fine fibers and wools were also collected and analyzed. Despite high vicuña population density within Apolobamba, low capture and shearing rates have resulted in decreased harvest of fiber quantity per animal in comparison to more aggressively managed areas of Bolivia and important vicuña fiber harvesting regions of Peru. We conclude that in order for sustainable conservation of vicuñas in the Apolobamba Reserve and elsewhere, the economic value of the species must be maximized.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    This view may be contested by recent Peruvian attempts to create enclosures with vicuñas. However, it is believed to be too early to assess the sustainability of such systems.

  2. 2.

    In inefficient captures, days of labor would be much higher.

  3. 3.

    Assumes a daily wage rate of US$4.

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  • McNeill, Desmond, and Gabriela Lichtenstein. 2003. Local Conflicts and International Compromises: The Sustainable Use of Vicuña in Argentina. Journal of International Wildlife Law and Policy 6 (3): 233–253.

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  • Wheeler, Jane C., and Domingo Hoces. 1997. Community Participation, Sustainable Use, and Vicuña Conservation in Peru. Mountain Research and Development 17: 283–287.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biology, Pace University, Pleasantville, NY, USA

    Melissa Grigione

  2. Kleinfelder, Inc., Mount Dora, FL, USA

    Lisa F. Daugherty

  3. Area de Investigación en Biología de la Conservación, Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Lerma, Estado de Mexico, Mexico

    Rurik List

  4. Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK

    Jonathan Rushton

  5. Department of Biology, Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA

    Ronald Sarno

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  1. Melissa Grigione
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  2. Lisa F. Daugherty
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  3. Rurik List
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  4. Jonathan Rushton
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  5. Ronald Sarno
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA

    Robert Brinkmann

  2. Hofstra University, Hempstead, NY, USA

    Sandra J. Garren

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Grigione, M., Daugherty, L.F., List, R., Rushton, J., Sarno, R. (2018). The Sustainability of Vicuña Conservation in Bolivia. In: Brinkmann, R., Garren, S. (eds) The Palgrave Handbook of Sustainability. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71389-2_10

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