Conservation and management strategies for commonly exploited amazonian turtles

Abstract

In the Amazon, turtle hunting is more than simply a method of obtaining meat, it is a way of life and part of local culture. To reduce the illegal catch of Amazonian freshwater turtles knowledge about the ecology of the species is needed to establish conservation and management strategies. The exploited species have a high reproductive potential but a large percentage of the hatchlings are consumed by predators (mainly fishers) if left without proper management. It is suggested that a proportion of the hatchlings should be collected on the nesting beaches and subsequently raised in semi-natural conditions for later releases into lakes. This should be done at regular intervals to produce a commercial harvest after 8 years. Such a strategy would provide an economic incentive to protect and maintain wild populations as sources of hatchlings. © 1985.