Conserving and recovering natural turtle populations in the Wampís territory, Peru

In the Peruvian Amazon, the Wampís communities located in the Kankaim and Kanus river basins (Morona and Santiago in Spanish) are highly dependent on nature for their food and their cultural life, with turtle eggs and meat a fundamental part of their traditional diet.

In recent years, populations of the most emblematic river turtle species in the region — the yellow-spotted river turtle (taricaya) and the Arrau (charapa) — had been shrinking rapidly. This decline, which was mainly due to unsustainable harvesting and water pollution caused by illegal mining, affected the availability of these turtles and the Wampis’ food supply.

Since 2022, with support from FPP, the communities of San Juan, Nueva Alegria, Puerto Juan, Sanchez Cerro and San Francisco de Chiwaza have been joining forces to promote the recovery of turtle populations.  

FPP has been supporting the Autonomous Territorial Government of the Wampis Nation since its inception in 2015. In recent years, biodiversity conservation and sustainable use have been a shared priority.  

The communities, families and individuals were first trained in how to conserve and protect the two species. They then collected thousands of eggs from the wild, placing them in hundreds of pre-prepared nests which were then replanted on semi-natural beaches to hatch safely.  

During 2023 and 2024, almost 4,500 taricaya hatchlings and close to 1,000 charapa hatchlings were released into oxbow lakes across Kankaim, boosting the populations of these species in their natural habitat.

The project is crucial for the recovery of food security and the ongoing sustainable use of these species, which have traditionally held cultural, social and economic value for the Wampís. The turtles are also an important source of income, which is used to support community activities and travel. Those who took part have gained skills in managing turtles, with women playing a leading role.

The plan is to scale up the recovery next year in line with the needs of 15 other communities, and to create an ongoing sustainable turtle management plan.