The Manu River in Peru is home for many species. Notably, one of them is the sideneck turtle (Podocnemis Unifilis), an aquatic turtle. They are facing a huge depletion in their population levels. The turtles' survival is an uphill battle due to illegal gathering of eggs and their capture for food. In the Manu National park, they are protected by law, but as the Machiguenga and other indigenous tribes living in the area rely on them as a food source, sustainability of the future turtle populations is necessary. The Sideneck Turtle Management and Conservation Program was created to address this.

This project was developed in Manu national park by the indigenous village of Tayacome with the support of Pronaturaleza. Its aim is maintaining the sustainability of sideneck turtles in the Manu Biosphere Reserve, while benefitting the indigenous groups that inhabit the region.

Objectives:

1. Study and analysis of sideneck turtles
2. Decrease of illegal egg collection
3. Regulations enacted by the Manu National Park to prevent trespassing of beaches
4. Estimating future demand for eggs by indigenous groups
5. Formation of the Tayacome Sideneck Turtle Management Committee to manage conservation

Methodology:
The Tayacome Sideneck Turtle Management Committee manages out the following activities:

1. Relocation of eggs at risk of flooding to safer beaches
2. Creation of high beaches as protection against flooding
3. Control of hatcheries, marking turtles, and monitoring them after release
4. The turtle adoption program

The Machiguenga have been trained to carry out all project activities. Once the turtles hatch, they are released into the river and oxbow lakes or are available for adoption. Adopted turtles are released by native Machiguenga into the river in your name, or in person if you plan to be traveling in the area.

Ing. Modesto Challco, Manager of the project in Manu Park, writes:

During the year of 2001, utilizing funds donated from the TRC "Save-a-Species Project", several activities of the project were accomplished. These actions which support the overall goal of training a committee in "taricaya management", serve to preserve the population of this important turtle species.

• The committee using management techniques in which they were trained, gathered 4,589 eggs from the local beaches. After careful management, they released a total of 2,513 baby turtles back into the local lakes and the Manu River. Without this action many more would have been harvested for consuming or lost to predators.
• The committee and other native participants finished the construction of a building for use by the project. The purpose of this building is not only the use by the committee but also for researchers the committee would like to host in the future.
• The committee purchased additional tools, including scissors, buckets, tins and other materials. The "fund" also assisted with management maintenance of the boat.

Conclusions

The native "taricaya committee has now been well trained by the Pro-Naturaleza and Manu Park Staff in the management of the Taricaya species. They have successfully released over 10,000 baby turtles in the last three years. Looking to the future, members of the Park Staff and committee, together with the help of Pro-Nat and TRC will continue to meet and adjust the objectives and goals of the management plan. A topic of interest will be the possibility of generating income for the community through tourism and also how to secure additional funds for the project.

The Save-a-Turtle program, centered in the village of Tayacome, has continued with good success among the village participants. The remaining resources in this year's fund will be targeted for certain key purchases which will support the villagers and their teachers in this work. The first will be the provision of some chairs and much needed furniture for the training school. This will provide the setting for the continuing educational workshops which will focus on natural resource conservation during the coming months. The second purchase will be a boat for the management committee. The final activity of the season will be the development of new printed literature on this program which can and will be distributed directly to the tourists who come to visit the turtle program. The literature will be designed to direct the potential donors back to the TRC Web page where they can donate conveniently and directly.