IUCN's role is to promote the conservation and wise use of nature and natural resources. The CSG has 350 members and eight regional subdivisions, each coordinated by a Vice Chairman and Deputy Vice Chairman. Its annual administrative and publishing budget is raised entirely from private donors. The Crocodile Specialist Group is the principal advisor to the SSC, IUCN, and its member bodies on the conservation of all crocodilians. The group provides a network of experts to assess conservation priorities, to develop plans for conservation, and to initiate actions needed for the survival of the world's 23 living species of crocodilians.
Crocodilians have a unique natural history that creates special challenges for their conservation.
They are the largest predator in their habitats, and some species can pose threats to livestock and to people. The high fashion leather goods made from the skins earn ten times that amount in retail sales. Crocodilians play valuable roles in their wetland ecosystems, by selectively preying on fish species, by increasing nutrient recycling, maintaining aquatic refugia for other wetland species during droughts, and by keeping waterways open. Crocodilians are heavily impacted by habitat loss, including the pollution of aquatic habitats, and by excessive hunting. Loss of any species of crocodilian represents more than just the end of these functions, it also represents a significant loss of biodiversity, of ecosystem stability, and of economic potential.