Learning to hunt Crocodiles: social organization in the process of knowledge generation and the emergence of management practices among Mayan of Mexico.

BACKGROUND: New kinds of knowledge, usage patterns and management strategies of natural resources emerge in local communities as a way of coping with uncertainty in a changing world. Studying how human groups adapt and create new livelihoods strategies are important research topics for creating policies in natural resources management. Here, we study the adoption and development of lagartos (Crocodylus moreletii) commercial hunting by Mayan people from a communal land in Quintana Roo state. Two questions guided our work: how did the Mayan learn to hunt lagartos? And how, and in what context, did knowledge and management practices emerge? We believe that social structures, knowledge and preexisting skills facilitate the hunting learning process, but lagarto ecological knowledge and organizational practice were developed in a "learning by doing" process. METHODS: We conducted free, semi-structured and in-depth interviews over 17 prestigious lagartos hunters who reconstructed the activity through oral history. Then, we analyzed the sources of information and routes of learning and investigated the role of previous knowledge and social organization in the development of this novel activity. Finally, we discussed the emergence of hunting in relation to the characteristic of natural resource and the tenure system. RESULTS: Lagarto hunting for skin selling was a short-term activity, which represented an alternative source of money for some Mayans known as lagarteros. They acquired different types of knowledge and skills through various sources of experience (individual practice, or from foreign hunters and other Mayan hunters). The developed management system involved a set of local knowledge about lagartos ecology and a social organization structure that was then articulated in the formation of "working groups" with particular hunting locations (rumbos and trabajaderos), rotation strategies and collaboration among them. Access rules and regulations identified were in an incipient state of development and were little documented. CONCLUSIONS: In agreement to the hypothesis proposed, the Mayan used multiple learning paths to develop a new activity: the lagarto hunting. On the one hand, they used their traditional social organization structure as well as their culturally inherited knowledge. On the other hand, they acquired new ecological knowledge of the species in a learning-by-doing process, together with the use of other sources of external information.The formation of working groups, the exchange of information and the administration of hunting locations are similar to other productive activities and livelihood practiced by these Mayan. Skills such as preparing skins and lagartos ecological knowledge were acquired by foreign hunters and during hunting practice, respectively. We detected a feedback between local ecological knowledge and social organization, which in turn promoted the emergence of Mayan hunting management practices.

[Impact of income strategies on food security in rural Mayan communities in northern Campeche]. / Impacto de las estrategias de ingresos sobre la seguridad alimentaria en comunidades rurales Mayas del norte de Campeche.

This paper examines the effect of income strategies on sufficiency of caloric intake in Mayan domestic groups (DG) of Campeche, Mexico. The analysis was based on the sustainable livelihoods approach. Information was obtained through a survey of households (N = 237) in four communities. The results reveal that all of the DG have diversified income strategies with clearly defined orientations. The caloric sufficiency index (CSI) is different (p < 0.05) among conglomerates (C) of DG and increases with the increase of the proportion of agricultural income in relation to total income. The wage labor strategy (37.6%) corresponding to C1 of DG (CSI-C = 0.69) and the agriculture-wage labor strategy (42.6%; CSI-C2 = 0.87) do not cover energy requirements of the DG. Only the agricultural strategy satisfies caloric intake needs (CSI-C3 = 1.09; CSI-C4 = 1.30) of the DG (19.8%). These results are associated with the heterogeneity of resources of the DG's, particularly, with the quality and extent of land, presence of producer organizations, and current rural policies. Implementation of differentiated local policies, interinstitutional coordination, and community participation could contribute to improving effectiveness of policies aimed at eradicating food insecurity.

Impacto de las estrategias de ingresos sobre la seguridad alimentaria en comunidades rurales Mayas del norte de Campeche / Impact of income strategies on food security in rural Mayan communities in northern Campeche

En este artículo se examina el efecto de las estrategias de ingresos sobre la suficiencia de consumo calórico en grupos domésticos (GD) mayas de Campeche, México. El análisis se basó en el enfoque de modos de vida y la información se obtuvo de una encuesta censal de hogares (N=237) en cuatro comunidades. Los resultados revelan que todos los GD tienen una estrategia de ingreso diversificada con una orientación claramente definida. El índice de seguridad calórica (ISC) es diferente (p <0.05) entre conglomerados (C) de GD y aumenta a medida que se incrementa la proporción del ingreso agrícola en el ingreso total. La estrategia laboral (37.6 por ciento) correspondiente al C1 de GD (ISC-C1= 0.69) y la estrategia agrícolalaboral (42.6 por ciento; ISC-C2= 0.87) no cubren los requerimientos energéticos de los GD. La estrategia agrícola es la única que satisface las necesidades de consumo calórico (ISC-C3= 1.09; ISC-C4= 1.30) de los GD (19.8 por ciento). Estos resultados están relacionados con la heterogeneidad de capitales que poseen los GD, especialmente con la calidad y extensión de la tierra, las organizaciones productivas, y la política rural vigente. La implementación de una política local diferenciada, la coordinación interinstitucional y la participación ciudadana, podrían contribuir a mejorar la eficacia de las políticas orientadas a erradicar la inseguridad alimentaría.

This paper examines the effect of income strategies on sufficiency of caloric intake in Mayan domestic groups (DG) of Campeche, Mexico. The analysis was based on the sustainable livelihoods approach. Information was obtained through a survey of households (N=237) in four communities. The results reveal that all of the DG have diversified income strategies with clearly defined orientations. The caloric sufficiency index (CSI) is different (p<0.05) among conglomerates (C) of DG and increases with the increase of the proportion of agricultural income in relation to total income. The wage labor strategy (37.6 percent) corresponding to C1 of DG (CSI-C1=0.69) and the agriculture- wage labor strategy (42.6 percent; CSI-C2=0.87) do not cover energy requirements of the DG. Only the agricultural strategy satisfies caloric intake needs (CSI-C3=1.09; CSI-C4=1.30) of the DG (19.8 percent). These results are associated with the heterogeneity of resources of the DG´s, particularly, with the quality and extent of land, presence of producer organizations, and current rural policies. Implementation of differentiated local policies, interinstitutional coordination, and community participation could contribute to improving effectiveness of policies aimed at eradicating food insecurity.