ENVIRONMENTAL PERCEPTION AND EDUCATION FOR THE CONSERVATION OF CHELONS IN THE MUNICIPALITY OF SANTA MARIA DAS BARREIRAS, PARÁ, BRAZIL.

Abstract

The consumption of Amazon turtles, especially the Podocnemididae family, is considered a tradition rooted in the culture of riverside dwellers, indigenous people and rural populations in the Amazon region. Through semi-structured interviews and content analysis, the objective was to assess the perception and socio-environmental profile of people who use and/or market Amazon turtles, aiming to guide guidelines for environmental education programs, through semi-structured interviews and content analysis. The study took place in the city of Santa Maria das Barreiras-PA, with the participation of 59 interviewees who were selected using the snowball sampling method. The sample reveals that 72.86% and 25.38% of respondents consume turtle meat and eggs, respectively; most claim that the meat's custom and flavor are the main reasons for consuming the animals and acquire them through hunting/fishing, trade or donations from friends, colleagues or indigenous people. In addition, this research
elaborated a set of proposals aimed at environmental education, the strengthening inspection actions and community engagement, to assist the work of conservation of turtles, thus contributing to awareness and understanding of the social and ecological relevance of these animals, considering the perspective of responsible use and enhancing the potential of this species. The wide consumption and other anthropic actions reinforces the urgent need for conservation actions, in addition to Araguaia Chelonian Project, as there are not sufficient population data that allow
establishing the real impact of this consumption for the maintenance of viability of the natural chelonian populations.