A first meeting was recently held in Brazil to exchange experiences with local communities on the protection and management of the Amazonian manatee – Peixe Boi (Trichechus inunguis). The meeting was organized by the Fundación Natütama from Colombia, which has been successfully carrying out nature conservation work and environmental education with residents around Puerto Nariño (Amazonas, Colombia) for over 20 years.
The team at the Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi research station 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 aim of releasing it back into the wild at a later date. During the meeting, experiences were shared, the region was explored, discussions were held with local communities, and a joint workshop was held 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 – Peixe Boi – in Brazil and further expand the successful cooperation between scientists and the local population.
