Following that article, here's an update of the situation.
Source: Herpdigest/Froglog 67 (4/3/05)
Action For The Axolotl At Lake Xochimilco, Mexico
By Richard A. Griffiths and Ian G. Bride
The Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) is one of Latin America’s most
threatened amphibians. The vast wetland upon which Mexico City was founded –
and which once provided a rich and productive habitat for the axolotl and other
endemic fauna – is now reduced to a handful of small, isolated patches
surrounded by development. Of these, Lake Xochimilco is the largest, covering
just over 2 square kilometres - but it is certainly no longer a lake. The
development of the ‘chinampas’ – raised fields of mud and vegetation reclaimed
from the lake – has been going on for centuries and has reduced the system to a
series of canals running between islands of development. Today, the landscape is
often referred to as the ‘floating gardens’ (a misnomer, as the chinampas are
not floating at all). Habitat loss, introduced predators, pollution, and illegal
collection for food and medicines have all taken their toll on the axolotl.
Consequently, the threats facing this species are compl!
ex and not easily reversible. However, its prominent position within Aztec
mythology and the ancient lacustrine economy of the region means that the
axolotl is well known – although poorly understood – among local people. Some
2000 remeros (local boatmen) earn a living by punting visitors along the lake’s
canal system in gaily decorated pleasure trajineras (pleasure boats), and the
chinamperos (local farmers) cultivate the adjacent land in a way that their
ancestors have done for centuries. Fishing is also fundamental to the local
economy, and although non-native carp and Tilapia may have replaced the axolotl
as the main catch, researchers have yet to improve upon the highly skilled
traditional netting method used by the fishermen for finding axolotls.
Building on its existing profile among the Xochimilcans, a partnership of
British and Mexican organisations has been developing a conservation programme
for the axolotl over the past three years (Griffiths et al., 2004). The project
was the brainchild of the late Dr Virginia Graue of the Universita Autonoma
Metropolitana at Xochimilco (UAM-X), who contacted the Durrell Institute of
Conservation and Ecology (DICE) in 1999 for assistance with development of the
project. As it was clear that addressing the many threats that the axolotl faced
would be impossible without the co-operation of local stakeholders, the project
focused on embracing local people within the conservation planning process by
developing the axolotl as a flagship species for nature tourism and conservation
education within the region. Using UAM-X’s existing field station on the shores
of the lake as a base, and with funding from DAPTF and the British Government’s
Darwin Initiative programme, the project pa!
rtnership has run training workshops on amphibian biology and conservation for
local students and conservation organisations, nature guiding for local boatmen,
and souvenir production for unemployed artisans. In addition, the project has
been engaged with ongoing biological research on population status and the
assessment and impact of threats. DAPTF International Co-ordinator, Jeanne
McKay, has been involved with the project through her Master’s research (McKay,
2003) and workshop facilitation, and will continue to act as a consultant as the
conservation programme develops.
Despite its precarious status in the wild, the axolotl is one of the most
familiar amphibians in laboratories and aquaria throughout the world. Animals
were originally collected in 1863 for the Natural History Museum in Paris, and
many of today’s captive animals probably stem from these founders (Smith, 1989).
As a result of its well-known reproductive biology and the availability of
captive populations there is considerable interest in reintroducing axolotls to
Lake Xochimilco. However, there are several problems associated with such
releases at this stage. At the very least, threats need to be neutralized and
potential disease and genetic problems addressed before captive animals are put
back into the wild (Griffiths et al., 2004). Despite the wide availability of
captive bred axolotls, wild animals are still captured and sold illegally in
local markets (McKay, 2003). A proposal to upgrade Ambystoma mexicanum from
CITES Appendix II (controlled international trade) to!
Appendix I (species threatened with extinction and international trade
permitted only in exceptional circumstances) is currently under discussion by
the Mexican authorities.
As the project enters its final phase, a round-up seminar and workshop on the
‘Conservation of Axolotl and the Xochimilco System’ was held at UAM-X from 6-9
December 2004. The fifty participants consisted of representatives from
government and non-government organisations, universities, research
institutions, the media, remeros and other local stakeholders. Over the first
two days of the meeting, partners had the opportunity to present findings that
had emerged from the project and other related work. The presentations covered
legal protection, local planning, nature tourism, engaging the local community,
ecology and impact of threats, captive breeding and reintroduction, ecoregional
design, flagship species and public education. The presentations served to
summarize and consolidate information gathered during the course of the project,
and provide a framework for two further days of participatory workshop.
Bilingually facilitated by Gerardo Garcia of the Durrell Wildlife !
Conservation Trust, the workshop groups were set goal-oriented tasks with a
view to producing the framework for a Species and Habitat Action Plan. After
brainstorming the issues facing the axolotl, the workshop groups set about
placing the issues into categories, setting goals and objectives for addressing
the issues, identifying appropriate actions and finally assigning timeframes and
organisations to the various actions. The workshop format provided an
opportunity for input from all stakeholders – ranging from local boatmen to
representatives from government agencies and NGO’s.
The goals for the conservation of the axolotl and its habitat were finally
distilled into eight categories: (1) biology of the species; (2) legislation;
(3) social actions; (4) political actions; (5) ecological interactions; (6)
local environment; (7) education; and (8) resource use and harvesting. These
will provide the framework for the action plan, which will be written up and
published by the end of the project in March 2005 following further
consultation. One of the most important outputs from the Darwin Initiative
project is the partnership of diverse organisations who all have an interest in
the future of the axolotl and its habitat - Grupo por la Investigacione del
Ajolote y Xochimilco (or GIAX). Although the Species and Habitat Action Plan
will provide a blue-print for the future, the most difficult stage –
implementing the plan – lies ahead. GIAX will be instrumental in making this
happen.
References
Griffiths, R.A., Graue, V., Bride, I.G., and McKay, J.E. (2004) Conservation of
the axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum) at Lake Xochimilco, Mexico. Herpetological
Bulletin 89: 4-11.
McKay, J.E. (2003) An evaluation of captive breeding and sustainable use of the
Mexican axolotl (Ambystoma mexicanum). MSc dissertation, University of Kent,
Canterbury, UK.
Smith, H.B. (1989) Discovery of the axolotl and its early history in biological
research. In Developmental Biology of the Axolotl, pp. 3-12. Armstrong, J.B &
Malacinski, G.M. (Eds.). New York: Oxford University Press.
For further information please contact:
R.A.Griffiths@kent.ac.uk / I.G.Bride @kent.ac.uk
http://www.kent.ac.uk/anthropology/dice/research/azaxs
But they are an undenyable asset for biological study and human companionship.:happy: