• *As part of its agreement with Sernanp, the company commissioned studies on the species in the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve and has been supporting initiatives to ensure its sustainable use.

PetroTal, operator of Block 95, is committed to the protection of the Pacaya Samiria National Reserve through programs and initiatives with concrete results, such as its efforts to preserve and sustainably use the taricayas.

The initiatives promoted by the company in relation to this picturesque turtle species are part of the long-term agreement it has with the National Service of Natural Areas Protected by the State (Sernanp) and have earned it the Special Biodiversity Conservation Award in the Environmental category of the Sustainable Development 2023 Award.

The recognition granted by the National Society of Mining, Petroleum and Energy (SNMPE) highlights the genetic and population studies of taricaya (Podocnemis Unifilis) provided by PetroTal - which were led by Sernanp and commissioned to the Peruvian Amazon Research Institute (IIAP) - to identify possible changes related to the commercial exploitation of the species by different actors.

This research allowed us to determine that the management actions promoted by Sernanp have contributed to the recovery of the species, maintaining its genetic variability and population in the reserve.

As part of the agreement, the company also facilitated the formalization of the Pacaya company (Peruanos Amazónicos Conservando la Amazonía y sus Áreas Naturales Protegidas), dedicated to the sustainable commercialization of vacuum-packed taricaya eggs in Amazonian markets.

This project, which involves nine management groups made up of fishermen from Puinahua, the district where the Bretaña Norte del Lote 95 field is located, promotes gender equality and benefits more than 90 families.

Pacaya has formalized the controlled and industrialized commercialization of taricaya eggs as part of a sustainable circle that includes the annual release of taricaya hatchlings in different parts of the reserve to ensure its population.

Guillermo Flórez, PetroTal's general manager, emphasized that the award is the result of hard and joint work involving company workers, employees, scientists, trained fishermen, local experts, among other actors who have joined forces to preserve a species that is also a resource.

"The union of efforts between the private sector and the State allows the realization of efficient projects, as has happened with the taricayas, which are a symbol of the Amazon and are now the axis of a productive and sustainable model that benefits our neighbors," he said.

This year, Pacaya expects to market more than 70,000 eggs in supermarkets, restaurants, tourism companies and other markets that can be developed thanks to the product's sanitary registration.