Abstract

Regulation of the exploitation of Chile's wildlife began in 1888 and has evolved especially rapidly since 1990. Legal forms of exploiting Chile's vertebrates (hunting and commercialization) never reached levels typical of most other Latin American nations, and with the imposition of stringent new regulations in 1993 have virtually ceased for all but a small number of bird species, two introduced deer, vertebrate pests, and the two introduced lagomorphs (European hare Lepus timidus and European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus) that are exploited commercially in southern Chile. Fortunately, the new regulations brought an end to a worrisome surge in the export of reptiles and amphibians, which now enjoy full protection. Captive breeding of fur-bearers and game species (both birds and mammals) continues at moderate levels. Nevertheless, illegal use and commercialization of wildlife is not yet under control, and even Chilean species which are fully protected on paper, continue to generate a substantial clandestine traffic, primarily across the southern frontier to Argentina. Likewise, Chile continues to serve as the transshipment point for wildlife smuggled from other South American countries to the north and east. Thus, the problem lies not in regulations, which are already extensive and strict, but rather in enforcement.