Riohacha, 24 April 2020

 

Thanks to the heroic act of a citizen of the municipality of Manaure who voluntarily gave up an individual of hawksbill turtle, Eretmochelys imbricata, it was possible to return to its habitat the specimen that had a wound in one of its fins and perforations in its shell caused by crustaceans.

The turtle was an adult female of approximately 50 kilograms and underwent a process of evaluation and healing for immediate release given its general conditions that gave it autonomy.

Articulated work between community, law enforcement and the environmental authority gives greater and better results every day, managing to recover endangered species and decrease their hunting and marketing, this being a crime typified by Colombian environmental regulations.

The ecological importance of the presence of these species in the different ecosystems has led them to be placed in the highest threat categories due to the notable reduction in their population and the deterioration of their habitats., which creates an imbalance in the marine-coastal territory, affecting the levels of the food chain.

Sea turtle species present in La Guajira:

• Green turtle (Chelonia mydas)
• Loggerhead turtle, Cabezona o Gogo (Caretta caretta)
• Tortuga Carey (Eretmochelys imbricata)
• Channel or Leatherback Turtle (Dermochelys coriacea)

 

Corpoguajira invites the community to continue increasing sensitivity towards endangered species, report ownership, hunting and sale to promote the conservation and protection of natural resources, especially those species that are threatened.