How ACA and Indigenous Communities are Protecting Morpho Butterflies

Morpho Butterfly Download the PDF here

With a wingspan of almost eight inches, blue Morpho butterflies are some of the largest in the world. Unfortunately, these butterflies, known for the vivid blue color of their wings, are threatened by habitat destruction and unsustainable collection and are on the verge of being classified as an endangered species. In order to protect these creatures, the Amazon Conservation Association is working with the indigenous Queros Wachiperi community to create a market for ecotourism in southeastern Peru where these butterflies reach their peak of diversity.

Morpho butterflies of numerous species are in abundance at ACA’s Los Amigos Conservation Concession, Hacienda Villa Carmen, and the Haramba Queros Wachiperi Conservation Concession; the conservation of these magnificent butterflies and other threatened species is of great importance to the ACA.

ACA’s Research Manager, Dr. Adrian Tejedor, recently visited the Queros Conservation Concession and was stunned by the diversity of butterflies, observing over eight different species along the Blanco Chico River. The Queros Conservation Concession, the world’s first conservation concession managed by an indigenous group with support from ACA, is a critical place to study and protect blue Morpho butterflies because it is here where the piedmont and lowland species meet. The result: one of the richest Morpho communities in existence, found along this narrow strip of land situated between the lowlands and the highlands.

The high price the Morphos demand in international trade, selling for as much as $95 apiece, is a testament to its beauty. With their intimate knowledge of Morpho butterfly diversity and biology, the indigenous Queros Wachiperi people are ideally positioned to make the important change from selling butterfly corpses to marketing live sightings of these unique creatures to butterfly enthusiasts from all over the world.

ACA is currently working in cooperation with the with the indigenous Queros Wachiperi community to create and market an ecotourism enterprise for butterflywatching, especially of the magnificent blue Morpho. This project will provide a sustainable source of income for the Queros Wachiperi community, provide an opportunity for outsiders to experience this immense species richness, and promote long-term preservation of these rare, threatened butterflies.

Mercury Poisoning: Hazards of the Amazonian Gold Boom

Mining camp near Los Amigos Research StationAs illegal gold miners flock to the southeastern Peruvian region of Madre de Dios, an Amazon Conservation Association (ACA)-sponsored study reveals alarming rates of mercury contamination in some of the region’s most commonly consumed fish. Researchers Luis Fernandez of the Carnegie Institution for Science and Victor Hugo Gonzalez of the Universidad Técnica de Machala tested locally-caught freshwater fish purchased in markets in Puerto Maldonado, Peru. They found that three very popular fish had mercury levels well abovein one case doublethe maximum recommended concentration set by the World Health Organization. Because the human body completely absorbs most fish-borne mercury, researchers concluded that it is easily possible to consume more than the safe limit in a single meal. These results are alarming, and the threats to the local environment and human health are growing.

An estimated 300 people now arrive in Madre de Dios each day, most of them impoverished and looking for work in informal, Catfish at Los Amigos Research Stationsmall-scale gold mining. These miners use mercury to amalgamate gold. By discarding polluted tailings and burning mercury off the gold amalgam, miners release an estimated 30 to 40 tons of mercury annually into the environment in Madre de Dios alone. Miners work without safety measures or even rudimentary equipment to prevent or reduce mercury pollution. Their negligence threatens the health and livelihoods of their families and friends and contaminates the fragile ecosystems through burning of mercury and improper disposal of the toxic chemical.

Mercury consumption is extremely hazardous to human health, with effects ranging from brain damage, memory loss, personality change, and tremors, to permanent developmental damage to growing fetuses. While the local population is largely aware of the potential hazards associated with mercury consumption, many residents incorrectly assume that, as mercury sinks to the bottom of rivers, only bottom-dwelling fish are contaminated. To improve local awareness, ACA has used the results of the Fernandez-Gonzalez study to create an informational video on mercury poisoning, and the researchers themselves have been featured on Peruvian television broadcastsResidents have indicated their surprise upon learning that larger, carnivorous fish have higher concentrations of mercury.        

In response to these mounting threats, ACA is working to encourage greener mining practices and technologies that reduce the need for mercury. ACA is also promoting open dialogue between the Ministry of Environment and local stakeholders regarding mining regulations and the promotion of alternative sustainable livelihoods. One such alternative is aquaculture of native fish: in uncontaminated water, aquaculture can improve human health by providing fish with low levels of mercury, while simultaneously stimulating the local economy.