Wild Furbearer Management and Conservation in North America—Chapter 2: Furbearer Management in Mexico

Authors: Roel R. Lopez, Raul Valdez, Carlos Gonzalez-Rebeles Islas, Eliz Regina Martinez-Lopez, and Andrea E. Montalvo

The cultural and biological importance of furbearing species and their management and conservation in Mexico is unique and not as well developed compared to more northern regions of North America. The Republic of Mexico and the United States of America (hereafter, U.S.) share a long and rich history regarding natural resources. The shared border between these two countries has resulted in a high diversity and cultural importance of furbearing species for both countries. The classic work, Wild Furbearer Management and Conservation in North America (Novak et al. 1987), did not include a specific and comprehensive synthesis regarding furbearer management in Mexico. Here, we attempt to contribute to the understanding of furbearers in Mexico through the following sections of this chapter. We begin with providing a broad summary of the early history of the fur trade in the country from the Aztec period to the present. We then provide an overview of the rich diversity of furbearing species as well as a general overview of the legal and regulatory framework, both historical and current, that has shaped the management and use of furbearing species in Mexico. We conclude with the modern fur trade, both commercial and noncommercial, and contemporary concerns associated with furbearer management and conservation.

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