IUCN Green List Matsés National Reserve

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Matsés National Reserve
Reserva Nacional Matsés

First Listed

2024

Area
4206,35km²

Why is it Green Listed?

Key Achievements

Conservation

Records of resource use show that levels of use by local populations are low and remain within the limits of sustainability.
The RNM has instruments for measuring the progress of the plan, monitoring of threats and impacts, which account for the annual fulfillment of the conservation
objectives of the area.
Official data on the coverage of forest ecosystems in the NMR indicate that there are no significant changes in the ecosystems within the NMR, ensuring the conservation
of the forests it hosts.

Good governance

The process carried out for the preparation of the current master plan (2017 – 2022) was broadly participatory in all its stages, including various sectors of government
and civil society.
There is a lot of clarity and transparency in the management of the RNM, the forms of participation are clear and open to all interested parties, the information regarding
the area, its planning and progress is public and any organization or person can not only access the information of the ANP, but can also establish a claim if it considers it
necessary.
The conditions exist to adapt planning to the new information that is produced in the MRI and to changes in the context to this adaptation.

Community benefits

The populations located in the buffer zone of the RNM have actively participated and their opinions and proposals have been included in the current master plan of the
area.
In the RNM, there are minor activity agreements with five populations in the area of use, which allow the small-scale use of bushmeat and non-timber forest resources
for subsistence purposes and under traditional extraction practices.
The life plans of five communities surrounding the RNM are taken into account in the management of the area as part of the process of territorial articulation of the
same.

Site Attributes

WDPA ID

555544085

Size

4206.35km²

Designation(s)

National

IUCN Category

VI - Protected Area with sustainable use

Year Established

2009

Marine Protected Area

Governance Type

Federal or national ministry or agency

Site Agency

Servicio Nacional de Áreas Naturales Protegidas del Perú

Site Manager

Nidya Carola Carpio Martínez

Application

28 Feb 2018

EAGL Evaluation

26 Jun 2023

EAGL Chair

Milagros Oblitas

ASI Reviewer

Carlos Escobar

Site Summary

The Matsés National Reserve (RNM) is located in the districts of Yaquerana, Requena and Soplin, province of Requena, department of Loreto. It has an area of 420,635.3 hectares. Its establishment seeks to contribute to the conservation of the existing natural resources in the Gálvez, Tapiche and Blanco rivers, in order to allow the Matsés population to continue with their traditional, permanent and sustainable use. The RNM is located in the Amazonian plain and has three large landscape units: hills, terraces and flood plains. Among its types of forest are those of white sand or varillales, those of the mainland and the flooded and marshy forests.
In addition, its presence enables the existence of an uninterrupted binational biological corridor of more than three million hectares that includes the Sierra del Divisor National Park in Peru and three other protected natural areas in Brazil. Likewise, the RNM hosts a very complete sample of the biological diversity of the forests of the Peruvian Amazon. It is estimated that it contains 22% of mammals, 46% of birds, 36% of amphibians, 38% of reptiles and 47% of the known fish for this region. It also has high sociocultural and scientific values, as well as great tourist potential. Its establishment implies the
recognition of a wide territory which the Matsés people uses for their ancestral hunting, fishing and gathering routes inside the RNM, nearby its current communal territory.

1. Natural Values

MONITORING OF VALUES

THRESHOLDS OF SUCCESS

CONDITION OF VALUES

SUMMARY OF TRENDS AND RESULTS

1. Forests of Rods 2. High-altitude forests 3. Bajiales 4. Bodies of water (ponds and streams)

The RNM has a vegetation cover map of the Matsés National Reserve where it can be seen that 99.6% is unaffected. This indicates that there are no significant changes in the ecosystems within the NMR, ensuring the conservation of the environmental values, ecosystem and cultural services that it hosts. MRI has an involvement rate of 0.36%, which represents a very low degree of involvement (<1%)

The thresholds for determining the degree of involvement are: *Very low degree of impairment = < 1% *Low degree of impairment = < 5% *Medium degree of impairment = < 15% *High degree of impairment = 25%.

From the result of the deforestation analysis, in 2021 the Matsés National Reserve registered zero hectares of deforestation due to anthropic sources, which is an indicator of the conservation status of the entire area of ecosystems protected by the RNM.

2. Ecosystem Service Values

MONITORING OF VALUES

THRESHOLDS OF SUCCESS

CONDITION OF VALUES

SUMMARY OF TRENDS AND RESULTS

1. Food Provision Service: Fishing, Hunting, Aguaje Fruit, and Ungurahui Fruit 2. Fibre Provision Services (Irapay Sheets) 3. Support service to ensure the constant reproduction of fish resources and wild flora and fauna by protecting the headwaters of the Gálvez and Yaquerana rivers.

The quantities of traditional use of the native Matsés community are of lower consumption, so they do not jeopardize the provision of the service or the conservation status of the ecosystem services of game fauna, fish species and palm trees. Likewise, the Reports on the follow-up and monitoring of the rights granted in the Minor Activity Agreements conclude that the local populations have been complying with the established agreements.

In order to monitor the ecosystem services of provision and cultural service of the traditional Matsés use of natural resources, the Matses National Reserve has signed internal agreements for subsistence purposes with annexes of the Matsés community for the use of natural resources within the RNM and with the beneficiaries of the Minor Activity Agreements (members of communities and peasant communities) for the use of hunting resources. Fishing and exploitation of Irapay palm trees.

The results of the monitoring (with and without minor activity agreements) indicate that the limits of the established quotas are not exceeded. In 2020, the use of: i) 2668 kg of bushmeat of 15 species has been recorded. Per user, the use of between 1 and 30 kg is recorded, except on a single occasion in which it reaches 95 kg, on the date of celebration of the anniversary of the Matsés Native Community, ii) 344 kg of hydrobiological resources of 9 species.

3. Cultural Values

MONITORING OF VALUES

THRESHOLDS OF SUCCESS

CONDITION OF VALUES

SUMMARY OF TRENDS AND RESULTS

Matsés cultural heritage, including its production systems adapted to the ecological characteristics of the area and its surroundings.

In 2020, activities were restricted due to the pandemic caused by the COVID-19 virus; however, training activities on the management and conservation of natural resources were carried out with local actors, and progress was made with the Ministry of Culture on the preparation of the Plan for the Protection of the Yavarí Tapiche Indigenous Reserve for peoples in voluntary isolation, since this indigenous reserve overlaps the protected natural area.

One of the objectives of establishing the Matses National Reserve is to achieve the participation of the native Matsés community in the management of the protected natural area.

The participation of local actors is monitored through the Map of Actors, whose result as of 2020 shows the participation of 10 annexes of the native Matsés community as Collaborators, 5 annexes of the native Matsés community as Neutrals and only 1 annex of the native Matsés community as Dissenting.

Conservation Summary

Governance

Particular attention is drawn to the Good Governance demonstrated, characterized by collaborative decision-making between the indigenous population and the protected area management, notably the Matsés native community. Despite not being originally designated as a communal reserve, there is a palpable sense of identity and territorial ownership among the Matsés, indicating a strong connection to the area. The protected area (PA) serves as a practical instrument for safeguarding the human rights of the Matsés people, including those who voluntarily live in isolation within its boundaries. Moreover, it presents an opportunity to foster sustainable activities that promote economic, social, and cultural well-being among the Matsés population. An initial effort by the PA’s technical team to enhance governance with other indigenous groups, such as the Kapanawa, Kukama Kukamiria, and Kichwa peoples settled in the buffer zone, is evident.

Design and Planning

The site stands out for its thoughtful design, encompassing the extension of the protected natural area and its integration into a larger conservation corridor, which encompasses the Sierra del Divisor National Park and Reserved Zone in Peru, as well as the Serra Do Divisor National Park and Alto Juruá and Alto Tarahuacá Extractive Reserves in Brazil. This comprehensive approach ensures the preservation of a representative sample of the Southwest Amazon Moist Forest ecoregion and enhances ecosystem connectivity, bolstering resilience against anthropogenic and climatic threats. The protected area includes two priority conservation sites identified within the framework of the Master Plan for Protected Natural Areas of Peru (Alto Yavarí-Tapiche and Varillales del Alto Tapiche). Additionally, it is situated within the proposed Yavarí-Tapiche Territorial and Continuous Forest Corridor, recognized by indigenous organizations as essential for maintaining contiguous transboundary territories for conservation. Furthermore, it forms an integral part of the Loreto Regional Conservation System. The site’s Master Plan was updated through a participatory process involving broad stakeholder engagement.

Effective Management

It is noteworthy that the Matsés National Reserve is among the protected natural areas evaluated under a results-based management program focusing on management, surveillance, control, and participatory resource utilization. Progress in effective management is evident through the implementation of monitoring instruments. The active involvement of women in various activities, processes, and decision-making pertaining to natural resource management is notable. These decisions are informed by research conducted in collaboration with partner organizations and enriched by local knowledge.

Successful Outcomes

The PA holds significant value due to its natural and cultural attributes, presenting opportunities for sustainable commercial utilization of natural resources. Furthermore, its inclusion in a binational biological corridor underscores its importance in maintaining ecosystem integrity, thus ensuring compliance with established conservation standards.