The goal of this project is increasing Amazon Turtle (Podocnemis expansa) population and potential marketing in the Xambioá Indigenous Territory, located on the right margin of Lower Araguaia River, in the municipality of Santa Fé do Araguaia, in the state of Tocantins.
Due to an increase in population at the Indigenous Land, natural resources have been under heavy pressure, since after demarcation of the territory, land and its available natural resources became limited. As a result, a cultural change is necessary in order to create a new concept and methodology for natural resource use, since the limited size of the land does not allow unsustainable use of fishing resources, hunting and agriculture which makes use of fire for clearing, which is the current situation.
Given the growing threats to the very existence of Amazon Turtles, the project is aimed at alleviating these threats, which may compromise biodiversity if not addressed immediately. The project is thus much wider in scope, not only making feasible new turtle management techniques, but also implicating in direct increases for its population, fostering social and economic activities in these communities, thus adding value to community participation in the process of turtle breeding and protection.