A. Species
Scientific name: Vicugna vicugna
Common name(s): Vicuña
Global IUCN Red List Threat Status: Least Concern
B. Location of use
Geographic location(s):
- La Pampa
- Bolivia, Plurinational States of
- Peru
Country/Region: Andean altiplano: Argentina, Bolivia, Peru
C. Scale of assessment
Scale of assessment: Regional/Continental/Multi-country level
Name/Details of location: local institutions in Cieneguillas (65º 52′W, 22º 06′S) and Santa Catalina (66° 03′W 21° 56′), both localities belonging to the Pozuelos UNESCO MAB Biosphere Reserve in Jujuy, Argentina
D. Timescale of use
Start Year: 2000
End Year: 2020
E. Information about the use
How is the wild species sourced?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat
Type of use: Extractive
Practice of use: Collecting or harvesting parts or products from wild animals (e.g., eggs, wild honey, vicuna fibre)
Lethal or non-lethal: Non-Lethal
Does this use involve take/extraction of: Only parts or products of the organism
Purpose(s) of end use: Learning and education, Ceremony and ritual expression and Decorative and aesthetic
Motivation of use: Basic subsistence, Income generation from trade (individual/household/community), Traditional/Cultural/Spiritual and Population/Area Management
Is this use legal or illegal?: Legal under national law
F. Information about the Users
Which stakeholder(s) does the record primarily focus on?: Local people, National / local government, National / local private sector and International private sector
G. Information about the sustainability of use
Is there evidence that the use is having an impact on the target species?: Wild species sourced from its natural habitat
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an ecological perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: CITES; VICAM (Vicuñas, camelids, and environment) research group
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Vicuñas were in risk of extinction, but thanks to conservation policies, the engagement of local communities, and the efforts of scientists and naturalists, this species has recovered to an extent than allows sustainable, community-based management via chakus, a traditional method involving the capture and release of wild vicuñas to harvest their fiber. Vicuña management has great potential for the sustainable development of indigenous peoples and local communities, but achieving this goal is a process ridden with difficulties, including the commercial interests of non-Andean actors.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an economic perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered unsustainable
Details of assessment carried out: authors' conclusion
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Authors state that "For vicuña management to become a driver of sustainable local development, a series of challenges must be overcome: power asymmetries between local communities and other stakeholders due to the monistic economic valuation of vicuña fiber, the incorporation of relational values with strict welfare protocols recognizing vicuñas as sentient beings, and the intrinsic valuation of the ecological role of the species, also considering their indisputable position as Andean ancestral biocultural heritage."
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a social perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: CITES; VICAM (Vicuñas, camelids, and environment) research group
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Vicuñas were in risk of extinction, but thanks to conservation policies, the engagement of local communities, and the efforts of scientists and naturalists, this species has recovered to an extent than allows sustainable, community-based management via chakus, a traditional method involving the capture and release of wild vicuñas to harvest their fiber. Vicuña management has great potential for the sustainable development of indigenous peoples and local communities, but achieving this goal is a process ridden with difficulties, including the commercial interests of non-Andean actors.
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from a human health perspective been recorded?: not recorded
Details of assessment carried out: this study does not focus on human health
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: this study does not focus on human health
Has an assessment (or judgement) of sustainability of the use of the target species from an animal health/welfare perspective been recorded?: Yes, considered sustainable
Details of assessment carried out: CITES; VICAM (Vicuñas, camelids, and environment) research group
Brief summary on why the use has been assessed/judged to be sustainable or unsustainable: Vicuñas were in risk of extinction, but thanks to conservation policies, the engagement of local communities, and the efforts of scientists and naturalists, this species has recovered to an extent than allows sustainable, community-based management via chakus, a traditional method involving the capture and release of wild vicuñas to harvest their fiber. Vicuña management has great potential for the sustainable development of indigenous peoples and local communities, but achieving this goal is a process ridden with difficulties, including the commercial interests of non-Andean actors.
Recommendations provided in the record to maintain or enhance the sustainability of the use of the target species
Authors state that "For vicuña management to become a driver of sustainable local development, a series of challenges must be overcome: power asymmetries between local communities and other stakeholders due to the monistic economic valuation of vicuña fiber, the incorporation of relational values with strict welfare protocols recognizing vicuñas as sentient beings, and the intrinsic valuation of the ecological role of the species, also considering their indisputable position as Andean ancestral biocultural heritage."
Record source
Information about the record source: scientific_pub
Date of publication/issue/production: 2020-01-01T00:00:00+0000
Source Reference(s):
Date of record entry: 2022-11-16