We are committed to providing responsibly and sustainably produced alligator products for our customers.

 

At Alligators International, we pride ourselves in the fact that all of our alligators are responsibly sourced from our family farm and from wild alligators, all from Florida!

 

Our Alligator farm is a licensed and inspected aquaculture facility utilizing best management practices (BMP’s) guidelines regulated by the Florida Department of Agriculture. We maintain an environmental resource permit as well as a consumptive use water permit from South Florida Water Management.

All alligators harvested are marked with a CITES tag in the end of their tail, which is required to harvest, trade, and sell alligator products. These tags are issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to permit holders such as farmers and hunters.

On each CITES Tag, the following information is displayed: The Country of origin, the State of origin, the species, the year of harvest, and the individual serial number for that skin.

What is a CITES Tag and why is it Required?

CITES stands for the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species, and their goal is to ensure that the trade and sale of animal and plant products will not threaten the survival of the species concerned.

While American Alligators are not endangered or threatened, they look very similar to other crocodilians that are. So, as a safe guard against illegal and unsustainable trading of other crocodilians, the trade of American Alligator products is placed under the same restrictions and requirements of the CITES acts as these other crocodilians. 

The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) oversees all CITES permitting and compliance in the United States, and CITES tags are required to be affixed in the tail of any alligator that is harvested, farmed or wild-caught.

This tag, which features the Country, State, year, and serial number of that specific permit, will remain on the skin throughout the entire process of tanning and dyeing, until it is made into a product like a handbag or a wallet. However, if the products are to be exported, the tag number must be referenced in certain paperwork required by the USFWS.

To Read More about CITES, visit their website:

About Cites

The Processing facility of our sister company, Alligators Inc., is inspected and permitted through the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services and is HACCP compliant. They are also licensed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as a state processor. This assures your alligator meat will be processed with the highest standards.

Our new 10,500 square foot dyeing and finishing facility constructed in 2020 utilizes the best practices available on the market. Inspected and certified by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection agency, it is a true zero-discharge facility where all water is retained on site utilizing several processes for the water to be recycled back into the system.

Dye Drum