A recent meeting was held in Brazil to facilitate the exchange of experiences regarding the conservation and management of the Amazonian manatee —Peixe Boi (Trichechus inunguis)—with local communities. The meeting was organized by Fundación Natütama from Colombia, which has been successfully carrying out conservation work and environmental education with residents around Puerto Nariño (Amazonas, Colombia) for over 20 years.
The team at the research station of the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi in the Caxiuanã National Forest (Pará, Brazil) set out to learn from Natütama’s many years of experience. Together with partners from ICMBio and the Instituto Bicho d’Água, they are currently caring for a young Amazonian manatee with the goal of eventually releasing it back into the wild. During the meeting, participants shared experiences, explored the region, held discussions with local communities, and conducted a joint workshop to develop a long-term conservation program that actively involves the local population.
YAQU PACHA supports this important exchange, which aims to help establish sustainable conservation projects for Amazonian manatees —known as “peixe boi”—in Brazil as well, and to further strengthen the successful collaboration between scientists and the local population.
