The populations of Amazonian turtles are recovering thanks to local action

The populations of Amazonian turtles are recovering thanks to local action https://i1.wp.com/www.eresviral.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Las-poblaciones-de-tortugas-amazónicas-se-están-recuperando-gracias-a-la-acción-local.jpg?fit=219%2C146&ssl=1

The populations of Amazonian turtles are recovering thanks to local action





The populations of Amazonian turtles are recovering thanks to local action


The giant South American turtle, historically overexploited, is returning to the beaches of the rivers of the Brazilian Amazon thanks to the efforts of local protection, according to a study led by the University of East Anglia (UEA, United Kingdom).



And not only turtle populations have benefited from these conservation efforts, other species have also begun to thrive on protected beaches and surrounding areas.



The UEA team, in collaboration with the Federal University of Alagoas (Brazil), the Anglia Ruskin University (United Kingdom) and the Federal University of the Amazon (Brazil), analyzed data collected on the populations of giant tortoises that nest on protected beaches along the Juruá, an important tributary of the Amazon River, during the last four decades.



They also examined protected and unprotected beaches locally along a meandering section of 1,000 kilometers of the same river. The study covered nests of all turtle species, as well as birds, iguanas, caimans, large fish, river dolphins and insect populations.



The results, published in 'Nature Sustainability', show that populations of giant tortoises are on their way to recovering completely on beaches protected by local vigilantes. Now more than nine times more turtles are born on these beaches than in 1977, which is equivalent to an annual increase of more than 70,000 pups.







Amazonian turtle (Photo: UEA)



The study showed that, of the more than 2000 turtle nests monitored on protected beaches, only 2 percent were attacked by poachers. In contrast, on unprotected beaches, poachers had attacked 99 percent of the 202 surveyed nests, according to UEA information collected by DiCYT.



Other species also had much larger populations on protected beaches, compared to unprotected beaches. The species that benefited from the conservation program were migratory birds, such as the large-billed tern, as well as the black alligator, the river dolphins, the green iguana or the catfish.



Turtles have historically been an overexploited source of meat and eggs, even though the first protection laws that prohibited the capture of turtles came into force in 1967. By the end of the 1970s, the numbers had reached worryingly low levels.



The beach protection program along the Juruá River is part of a larger community conservation program in the Brazilian Amazon. The beaches are protected with a reduced budget by the local communities, who carry out the surveillance of the beach 24 hours a day during the five-month turtle breeding season.



Professor Carlos Peres, from the School of Environmental Sciences of the UEA and principal author of the study, points out that "this study clearly demonstrates the effectiveness of enhancing local action". "Relying on a handful of government officials, who often rely on urban centers, to protect five million square kilometers of rivers and Amazonian forests is, at best, a losing battle," he adds.



Joseph Hawes, a collaborator at Anglia Ruskin University, adds that "the research highlights the valuable conservation service currently provided by local communities, not only for turtles but also for the ecosystem in general."



The main author, João Campos-Silva, now a postdoctoral researcher at the Federal University of Alagoas, Brazil, affirms that "currently, six million people in the Brazilian Amazon depend on wild nature" and that by including the local inhabitants in conservation practices, "it is possible to increase the effectiveness of conservation results and improve local well-being". (Source: DICYT)

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