The event has experts from Canada, Cuba, Costa Rica, Colombia and Venezuela

The 24 the 28 October 2011, Riohacha will host the II International Symposium on Sea Turtles of the Colombian Caribbean, coordinated by Corpoguajira and the University of La Guajira, in order to promote the interaction of the different actors interested in the environmental sectors, academic, governmental, non-governmental and citizen; to establish articulated and planned actions that have an impact on increasing knowledge about the condition of sea turtles in this area of ​​the country, as well as strengthening existing initiatives and establishing the necessary activities within the framework of the National Plan for the Conservation of Sea Turtles..

The event will feature the participation of international experts from Canada (Marianne Fish, WWF Organization), Costa Rica (Didiher Chacon, WIDECAST Costa Rica and WIDECAST Program for Latin America), Cuba (Felix Moncada, Fisheries Research Center and National Coordinator WIDECAST of Cuba) and Venezuela (Hedelvy Guada, CICTMAR and WIDECAST National Coordinator of Venezuela, Nineveh Espinoza, working group on sea turtles in the Gulf of Venezuela and the University of Zulia); who will develop different topics aimed at achieving the exchange of experiences in the context of the Greater Caribbean, regarding work with coastal communities (indigenous or not) and the generation of alternative livelihoods.

“We hope with this great event to generate follow-up activities and institutional support commitments, both national and international, that contribute to the survival of sea turtles. It is also our interest to institutionalize the holding of this symposium in La Guajira, taking into account that the presence of four of the six species of sea turtles with distribution in Colombia has been reported in the peninsula”. Arcesio Romero Pérez declared, Director Corpoguajira.

Among the topics to be discussed at the symposium, stand out among other aspects related to reproductive biology, migratory routes, habitats associated with their life cycle, composition, structure, distribution and temporal space of populations and effects of climate change on nesting beaches. Additionally, a theoretical and practical course on marking techniques for research will be held., conservation and monitoring of turtles and a release of approximately 500 turtles.

There are four species of sea turtles in La Guajira: verde (Chelonia mydas), carey (Eretmocheys imbricata), canal (Dermochelys coriacea) and the loggerhead (grimace grimace). Due to the growing anthropic pressure that has been exerted on them, especially in the last forty years, These species of sea turtles are in danger of extinction and as such are cataloged in the international lists of the IUCN and the CITES Convention..