POPULATION STATUS AND VALUATION OF SOME CONSERVATION STRATEGIES OF PIANGUA ANADARA TUBERCULOSA (SOWERBY) IN AREAS OF BAZÁN AND NERETE, NARIÑO, PACIFIC COAST OF COLOMBIA

Abstract

The objective of this investigation was to evaluate the status of piangua (Anadara tuberculosa, Sowerby) populations in two areas of the province of Nariño (Pacific coast of Colombia), and to assess the effect on natural communities of conservation strategies such as closed periods, rotation on extracting areas, and enforcement of the 5 cm minimum size declared by INPA (resolution 539, 2000). Permanent plots were set up and all piangua were collected using the traditional manual techniques. Morphometric measurements of gathered organisms were recorded. Subsequent samplings were performed at different times depending on the conservation strategy evaluated. A total of 10441 individuals of A. tuberculosa were collected, 61 % corresponding to Bazán and 39 % to Nerete. All conservation strategies assessed showed positive effects on the conservation and sustainable use of the resource, being closed periods of two months the one with better results (p= 0.027 for Bazán and p= 8.57E-06 for Nerete; Tukey: p< 0.05); in Bazán, this strategy was the only one showing positive results, while in Nerete the three strategies showed to be effective.