Crocodile farming in the Philippines refers to agricultural industries involving the raising and harvesting of crocodiles for the commercial production of Crocodile meat and crocodile leather. [1]
In the Philippines, crocodile farmers breed and raise two species of Philippine crocodiles: the Philippine saltwater crocodile ( Crocodylus porosus ) [2] and the Philippine freshwater crocodile ( Crocodylus mindorensis ). [3] Farms that trade crocodile skin are regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). [2] [4]
Crocodiles help maintain the balance of Philippine ecosystems, such as wetlands; crocodile farming in the Philippines is also geared towards the rescue and conservation of both C. porosus and the "endangered and endemic" C. mindorensis. Crocodile farms also contribute to tourism in the Philippines and offer public education about crocodiles. [2] [4]
Two species of crocodiles are indigenous to the Philippines: the "saltwater crocodile". Crocodylus porosus, also known as the Indo-Pacific crocodile, thrives in the Indo-Pacific region, Australia, Brunei, India, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea, Singapore, and Thailand. The Mindoro crocodile (Crocodylus mindorensis) is unique to the Philippines that tends to prefer a freshwater habitat. The latter – is considered "critically endangered" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) – is found in Mindoro, Busuanga, Palawan, Masbate, Negros , Samar, and in the islands of Sulu. [2] [4] As both are threatened because of loss of their habitats to humans, conservation efforts apply to them both. Crocodile farming under CITES is geared towards the rescue and sustainable exploitation. [2] [5]
The first crocodile breeding farm in the Philippines was started in Puerto Princesa, Palawan in 1987, and operated from its inauguration until 1994 with technical assistance and cooperation from the Japanese government. [6] The Crocodile Farm and Nature Park was founded to prevent the further decline of the two species of Philippine crocodile, whilst promoting socio-economic well-being of local communities. [7] It farms sustainably and is registered with CITES – the first such crocodile farm in the Philippines. [6] It was renamed the Crocodile Farming Institute (CFI). [2] [6] [8] Pioneer veterinarian and journalist Gerry Ortega started working at the CFI in 1988, and became the CFI's director in 1989. [9] The CFI was expanded in 2000 to incorporate a wildlife rescue center, an eco-destination park, and a training center and was renamed as the Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (PWRCC). [6] In 2005, it was reported that the facility was already overpopulated and losing 3–5 million pesos a year. [10]
In 2013, the PWRCC – under the management of the Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) – were breeding over 600 Mindoro crocodiles and over 700 Philippine saltwater crocodiles for commercial purposes. [2]
The PWRCC sells hatchlings, [11] as well as saltwater crocodile products to seven "authorized commercial operators" in the regions of Luzon (particularly in Batangas, Cavite, Rizal, and Tarlac), Visayas (such as in Negros Occidental), and Mindanao (including Cagayan de Oro and Davao del Norte). [2]
Crocodile farms have to be accredited by the government; [11] in addition, there is CITES registration farms in the Philippines that raise crocodiles in a sustainable manner, and only these may export. [4] By 2009, there were 5 commercial crocodile farms in the Philippines, the largest one located in Tanay, Rizal, that had over 2,000 head. [12] In 2012, there were six government-accredited crocodile farms in the Philippines, of which only three CITES-registered. [12] Coral Agri-Venture Farm, a traditional farm, obtained government approval to raise crocodiles in 2000 in a 10-hectare (25-acre) site, where it breeds and raises crocodiles from hatchlings. [11] J. K. Mercado and Sons, an existing player in the archipelago, opened a 10-hectare (25-acre) facility in Kapalong, Davao del Norte in July 2013. It has 6,000 head of livestock, and a slaughterhouse – the second largest in the Philippines and the only one in Mindanao – with a daily throughput of around 24 beasts. [4]
There are three smaller farms, including one combined ostrich/croc facility, where crocodiles reared number in the low hundreds. [6] [13] Then there are two pig farm turned crocodile "tourist centers" in Davao (without Philippine government accreditation). [12]
Crocodile skins are extremely valuable, priced by the centimeter, and are used in the production of luxury leather goods by firms such as luxury fashion brands like Louis Vuitton. [4] In particular, the hide of C. Porosus is the most commercially valuable of any crocodilian. It is highly prized for its regular, almost perfect pattern symmetry, and is the type used almost exclusively by Hermès; crocodile skin versions of Birkin bag and Kelly bag are made from the skin of the C. porosus. [5]
Meat is sold locally to tourists and to restaurants across the country – one kilogram of crocodile meat can fetch between 400 and 1000 Pesos ($9 and $22) in 2013. The meat supposedly has aphrodisiac properties, and can be used to cook traditional Philippine dishes. It may be found in prepared meals such as adobo, sisig, or made into hot dogs and burgers, or used in soups. Export markets include China and Russia. [11]
Crocodiles or true crocodiles are large semiaquatic reptiles that live throughout the tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. The term crocodile is sometimes used even more loosely to include all extant members of the order Crocodilia, which includes the alligators and caimans, the gharial and false gharial among other extinct taxa.
The saltwater crocodile is a crocodilian native to saltwater habitats, brackish wetlands and freshwater rivers from India's east coast across Southeast Asia and the Sundaic region to northern Australia and Micronesia. It has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List since 1996. It was hunted for its skin throughout its range up to the 1970s, and is threatened by illegal killing and habitat loss. It is regarded as dangerous to humans.
The Siamese crocodile is a medium-sized freshwater crocodile native to Indonesia, Brunei, East Malaysia, Laos, Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam. The species is critically endangered and already extirpated from many regions. Its other common names include Siamese freshwater crocodile, Singapore small-grain, and soft-belly.
The Philippine crocodile, also known as the Mindoro crocodile, the Philippine freshwater crocodile, the bukarot in Ilocano, and more generally as a buwaya in most Filipino lowland cultures, is one of two species of crocodiles found in the Philippines; the other is the larger saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus). The Philippine crocodile, the species endemic only to the country, went from data deficient to critically endangered in 2008 from exploitation and unsustainable fishing methods, such as dynamite fishing. Conservation methods are being taken by the Dutch/Filipino Mabuwaya foundation, the Crocodile Conservation Society and the Zoological Institute of HerpaWorld in Mindoro island. It is strictly prohibited to kill a crocodile in the country, and it is punishable by law.
The New Guinea crocodile is a small species of crocodile found on the island of New Guinea north of the mountain ridge that runs along the centre of the island. The population found south of the mountain ridge, formerly considered a genetically distinct population, is now considered a distinct species, Hall's New Guinea crocodile. In the past it included the Philippine crocodile, C. n. mindorensis, as a subspecies, but today they are regarded as separate species. The habitat of the New Guinea crocodile is mostly freshwater swamps and lakes. It is most active at night when it feeds on fish and a range of other small animals. A female crocodile lays a clutch of eggs in a nest composed of vegetation and she lies up nearby to guard the nest. There is some degree of parental care for newly hatched juveniles. This crocodile was over-hunted for its valuable skin in the mid 20th century, but conservation measures have since been put in place, it is reared in ranches and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists it as being of "Least Concern".
The Fogg Dam Conservation Reserve is a protected area consisting of a wetland area approximately 70 km (43 mi) east of Darwin in the Northern Territory of Australia. It lies within the Adelaide and Mary River Floodplains, which is an Important Bird Area.
Agriculture in the Philippines is a major sector of the economy, ranking third among the sectors in 2022 behind only Services and Industry. Its outputs include staples like rice and corn, but also export crops such as coffee, cavendish banana, pineapple and pineapple products, coconut, sugar, and mango. The sector continues to face challenges, however, due to the pressures of a growing population. As of 2022, the sector employs 24% of the Filipino workforce and it accounted for 8.9% of the total GDP.
A crocodile farm or alligator farm is an establishment for breeding and raising of crocodilians in order to produce crocodile and alligator meat, leather from crocodile and alligator skin, and other goods. Many species of both alligators and crocodiles are farmed internationally. In Louisiana alone, alligator farming is a $60 to $70 million industry. Most crocodile farms are located in Thailand.
The wildlife of the Philippines includes a significant number of endemic plant and animal species. The country's surrounding waters reportedly have the highest level of marine biodiversity in the world. The Philippines is one of the seventeen megadiverse countries and is a global biodiversity hotspot. In 2013, 700 of the country's 52,177 species were listed as threatened.
Gerardo Valeriano Ortega DVM, better known simply as "Doc Gerry" or "Ka Gerry," was a Filipino journalist, veterinarian, politician, environmental activist, and community organizer best known for his work to promote crocodile farming in the Philippines and for his advocacy against mining on the island of Palawan. Ortega has often been lauded as a hero of the Philippine Environment since his assassination on January 24, 2011, due to his anti-mining and anti-corruption advocacy.
Lolong was the largest crocodile in captivity. He was a saltwater crocodile measured at 6.17 m, and weighed 1,075 kg (2,370 lb), making him one of the largest crocodiles ever measured from snout-to-tail.
The Mounts Iglit–Baco Natural Park (MIBNP) is a legislated protected area of the Philippines and an ASEAN Heritage Park located in the island of Mindoro in the central Philippines. It was first established in 1970 by virtue of Republic Act No. 6148 as a national park that covered an area of 75,445 hectares surrounding Mount Iglit and Mount Baco in the interior of Mindoro. The park is the home of the largest remaining population of the critically endangered tamaraw. In 2003, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations listed it as one of its four heritage parks in the Philippines. The park has also been nominated to the Tentative List of UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2006. In 2018, the park was designated as a "Natural Park" under the Republic Act No. 11038 or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas Systems (ENIPAS) Act of 2018, which increased the area to 106,656 hectares.
Calauit Safari Park is a wildlife sanctuary in the Philippines which was originally created in 1976 as a game reserve featuring large African mammals, translocated there under the orders of President Ferdinand Marcos during his 21-year rule of the country.
The Luzon rain forest is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion on the island of Luzon. Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines, and the Luzon rain forest is the most extensive rainforest ecoregion of the country. The ecoregion includes the lowlands of Luzon and neighboring islands below 1000 meters elevation. Very little of the original rainforest remains, and the status of this area is critical/endangered.
The business of ostrich farming in the Philippines began in the Philippines in 1996. It was started by Lorenzo U. Limketkai, an engineer, and his son Heintje Limketkai. Heintje Limketkai took a month-long training course on ostrich farming in Australia. After that training, the Limketkais established their ostrich farming business and named it as the Philippine Ostrich and Crocodile Farms, Inc., becoming the first combined ostrich and crocodile farm in the country.
Cassius is a male saltwater crocodile who was previously recognised by the Guinness World Records as the world's largest crocodile living in captivity in 2011. The animal measures 5.48 metres in length, weighs approximately 1,300 kilograms (2,870 lb), and is kept at the Marineland Crocodile Park, a zoo on Green Island, Queensland, Australia.
Crocodile skin either refers to the skin of a live crocodile or a leather made from dead crocodile hide. It has multiple applications across the fashion industry such as use for bags, shoes, and upholstery after being farmed and treated in specialist farms and tanneries.
The Luzon montane rain forests is a tropical moist broadleaf forest ecoregion on the island of Luzon in the Philippines. The ecoregion is located on several volcanic and non-volcanic mountains of the island. Luzon is the largest and northernmost major island of the Philippines, located in the western Pacific Ocean.
The Palawan Wildlife Rescue and Conservation Center (PWRCC) is a wildlife rehabilitation and conservation facility and crocodile farm in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, Philippines.
Crocodile farming in Singapore is a specialized agricultural industry dedicated to the breeding and raising of crocodiles for the commercial production of both crocodile meat and leather.