Coordinator
Fernando Arbeláez

An initiative of the Curuinsi Huasi indigenous family association

Funding institutions (2009)

Funding institutions (2008)

Cleveland Zoological Society

With the support of:

Presentation

Despite the amazing biodiversity of Amazonian fauna, many native populations have been critically reduced towards their extinction over the last decades; this is the case of the three species of Amazon River turtles: the giant South American turtle or arrau turtle (Podocnemis expansa), the yellow spotted river turtle (P. unifilis) and the six tuberculed river turtle (P. sextuberculata). One of the main causes for such reduction has been high utilization levels by indigenous communities for commercialisation and local consumption. These turtles have reproductive periods and nesting beaches well known to the local inhabitants, who profit to extract nests and nesting females (which can be more than 100 years old). Systematic nests predation and nesting females consumption are perhaps the greatest threats to these species in Amazonia. These species are nowadays threatened to various degrees (Castaño-Mora, 2002) and registered in the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources) Red List; Podocnemis unifilis and P. expansa are critically endangered (CR) in the Orinoquian region and endangered (EN) in the Amazonian region (Castaño-Mora, 2002) and P. sextuberculata is data deficient (DD), but possibly threatened (Castaño-Mora and Medem, 2002).

A fundamental aspect of this problematic issues are the socio-economic conditions of indigenous communities in the area, who live in their majority in abandonment and poverty, lacking of alternatives different to direct exploitation of natural resources; many fishermen and their families must rely on selling turtles and eggs in the major ports during the nesting season in order to subsist. Therefore, it is necessary to look for ideas and possible standard solutions from a multidisciplinary base, where external organisations can support initiatives and local social and economic needs and vice-versa. These ideas and possible standard solutions have to fulfil sustainability of natural resources as a requirement, based on identification and use of traditional knowledge and seeking a greater cultural, political, economical and ecological recognition of the local communities.

This program was formulated by initiative of the Curuinsi Huasi indigenous association. It aims to generate appropriation of river turtle conservation by colombian and peruvian indigenous communities that inhabit the area, through specific conservation actions, environmental education and capacity-building, emphasising on: awareness-rising of the children through art and play: involvement of the young people in conservation activities; and identification, use and comunication of traditional knowledge related to turtles by older people from the communities.

Initial actions towards conservation of three endangered river turtles in the Santa Sofia indigenous reserve, Amazonas, Colombia. 2008

Community-based conservation program of river turtles by indigenous Peruvian and Colombian communities of the Amazon River, 2009-2010

Adult yellow spotted river turtle (Podocnemis unifilis) rescued from a fishing net. Photo: F. Arbeláez

References

Castaño-Mora OV, ed. 2002. Libro rojo de reptiles de Colombia. Serie Libros Rojos de Especies Amenazadas de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales-Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Ministerio del Medio Ambiente, Conservación Internacional-Colombia. Bogotá, Colombia, pp 92-94.

Castaño-Mora OV and Medem F. 2002. Podocnemis lewyana. In: Castaño-Mora OV, ed. Libro rojo de reptiles de Colombia. Serie Libros Rojos de Especies Amenazadas de Colombia. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales-Universidad Nacional de Colombia, Ministerio del Medio Ambiente, Conservación Internacional-Colombia. Bogotá, Colombia, pp 92-94.