Date: June 12, 2024. 
Author: ProDelphinus & Red Laúd OPO Communication.
Postulated by: ProDelphinus.

Mr. Natalio Colque is originally from the city of Moquegua, in the fishing port of Ilo in Peru. He is a fisherman who has more than 30 years of experience in deep-sea fishing, of which he has

dedicated the first 5 years to diving.

During these years, he has accumulated vast experience in sea turtle release techniques. Since his first days on the high seas, he has had a strong commitment to the release of these animals, whether cutting the lines and even taking them on board to finish untangling them and subsequently releasing them. Through the hands of Mr. Natalio, multiple sea turtles of different species have passed, green turtle (Chelonia mydas), loggerhead turtle (Caretta caretta) and Kemp’s ridley  (Lepidochelys kempii) having the opportunity to be released and survive after their encounter with bycatch with fishing gear. His actions have distinguished him and he has become an example to follow, eagerly awaiting the day when he will also have the chance to give a leatherback turtle a chance at life. 

Through the received training, Mr. Natalio Colque has significantly improved his skills to release turtles in a safe and effective way, and although the crew that accompany him on fishing days rotate from time to time, he always makes sure to convey his knowledge to those who work with him, in order to guarantee that when the precise moment arrives to interact with a sea turtle, everyone is trained and knows what to do to perform successful releases without putting the personnel on board at risk and also avoiding as much as possible any injure on the turtle while in the release process. 

Since 2023, Mr. Colque has become an incessant voice of dissemination in his community, referring to the importance of attending meetings where the release and manipulation techniques of sea turtles are shown and also encouraging more fisherman in his community to take part in these meetings.  

He participated in the recent marathon campaign “A leatherback freed, a leatherback saved” this project was promoted by ProDelphinus in the fishing port of Ilo, Peru. Where he stood out and was recognized for his active participation.

Thanks to the steadfast work that Mr. Colque has been doing, many fishermen know and have put into practice the careful process of releasing a sea turtle, multiplying this knowledge among other colleagues so they can join the purpose of recovering sea turtle populations, especially the Eastern Pacific leatherback turtle population.

We recognize the strong support that Mr. Natalio provides in the activities to protect sea turtles, which is why he deserves to hold the title of Leatherback Guardian.