The relationship between the fishermen and the American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) in the Mexican central western Pacific: a narrative analysis

Objective: Analyze fisherman-American crocodile relationship in western central Pacific Mexico, with emphasis on the conflict. Design/methodology: Participatory workshops included 22 fishermen from the Cuyutlán and Alcuzahue lagoons in the state of Colima, to explore the positive and negative aspects of the relationship, the perception and knowledge about the ecosystem functions of the crocodile, the management practices and actions associated with these relationships, and to learn about the actors and natural factors that influence them. The information was recorded, followed by a narrative analysis and synthesis. Results: Harmonious relationships are reported, such as creating bonds with crocodiles, and recognizing them as beneficial for fishing and their eco-systemic function. Conflicting relationships identified were related to fishing gear, reduction of fishing resources, and accidents. The strategies used to avoid conflicts are related to danger zones, crocodile behavior, and eliminating them to reduce their presence. They also consider compensatory schemes, co-collective management of fishery resources, and the substitution of fishing for the extractive exploitation of crocodiles. Limitations on study/implications: It´s necessary to know the vision of other actors involved, besides fishermen.  Findings: The relationship between fishermen and crocodiles presents contradictory situations: harmonic where either are benefited, and other conflictive situations, where fishermen suffer economic, operational, and lifestyle impacts, producing scenarios that are not very favorable for the conservation of the reptile.Objective: To analyze the relationship between the fishermen of central western Mexico and the river crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus), emphasizing the resulting conflict. Design/Methodology/Approach: The work was carried out with 22 fishermen from the Cuyutlán and Alcuzahue lagoons in Colima, Mexico. Four participative workshops were organized per community, in order to explore the positive and negative aspects of the relationship, the perception and knowledge about the ecosystem functions of the crocodile, and the management practices and actions associated with this relationship, as well as to determine the natural participants and factors that influence the said relationship. The workshops were recorded and the resulting data was subjected to a narrative analysis and a summary. Results: Harmonious relationships are recorded, including the creation of bonds between humans and crocodiles and recognizing the benefits to fishing and the ecosystem function of the crocodile. The conflictive relationships identified were related to fishing, the reduction of fishing resources, and accidents. The strategies used to prevent conflicts are related to the dangerous zones, the behavior of the crocodiles, and the killing of the animals to reduce their presence. Additionally, compensation schemes, a collective management of fishing resources, and the replacement of fishing by the exploitation and capture of the crocodile were taken into consideration. Study Limitations: Besides the fishermen’s, the point of view of other participants should be determined. Conclusions: The relationship between fishermen and crocodiles is both harmonious and conflictive. On the one hand, both receive benefits; on the other hand, fishermen suffer economic, operative, and life style impacts, which create inauspicious scenarios for the conservation of the reptile

Can You Judge a Disease Host by the Company It Keeps? Predicting Disease Hosts and Their Relative Importance: A Case Study for Leishmaniasis

<div><p>Zoonoses are an important class of infectious diseases. An important element determining the impact of a zoonosis on domestic animal and human health is host range. Although for particular zoonoses some host species have been identified, until recently there have been no methods to predict those species most likely to be hosts or their relative importance. Complex inference networks infer potential biotic interactions between species using their degree of geographic co-occurrence, and have been posited as a potential tool for predicting disease hosts. Here we present the results of an interdisciplinary, empirical study to validate a model based on such networks for predicting hosts of <i>Leishmania (L</i>.<i>) mexicana</i> in Mexico. Using systematic sampling to validate the model predictions we identified 22 new species of host (34% of all species collected) with the probability to be a host strongly dependent on the probability of co-occurrence of vector and host. The results confirm that <i>Leishmania</i> (<i>L</i>.) <i>mexicana</i> is a generalist parasite but with a much wider host range than was previously thought. These results substantially change the geographic risk profile for Leishmaniasis and provide insights for the design of more efficient surveillance measures and a better understanding of potential dispersal scenarios.</p></div

Risk maps of Leishmaniasis: a) determined by using only the 8 previously confirmed hosts, b) determined by using the 22 new confirmed hosts and previously confirmed hosts of <i>L</i>. (<i>L</i>.) <i>mexicana</i>.

<p>Risk maps of Leishmaniasis: a) determined by using only the 8 previously confirmed hosts, b) determined by using the 22 new confirmed hosts and previously confirmed hosts of <i>L</i>. (<i>L</i>.) <i>mexicana</i>.</p