The turtle returns to the sea (Photo: baotainguyenmoitruong.vn) Hanoi (VNA) – TheManagement Board of the Cham Islands Marine Protected Area has released a raresea turtle that was accidently caught by a local fisherman back into itsnatural habitat.
Tran Thoi, from Cam Kimcommune in Hoi An city, found the turtle, which is 43cm in length and 7.6kg inweight, in his net, while fishing on the Thu Bon river.
He handed over the animal tothe management board on January 30.
Known as the olive ridley sea turtle (scientifically calledLepidochelys olivacea), the turtle is included on the red book ofthreatened species by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature,indicating it is an endangered species.
Confirmed to be in a goodhealth, it was released from Cua Dai beach the next day.
Encountering a sea turtle inthe river mouth area is very rare. The animal may have gotten lost whileforaging for food.
In recent years, the boardhas worked to increase public awareness of sea turtle conservation and developa voluntary network for prompt reports of trapped turtles.
In the past two years,approximately 1,400 baby turtles have been hatched along the beaches of the ChamIslands. The eggs were brought from Con Dao Island, believed to be the largestnesting site for sea turtles in the country.
The Cham Islands, 20km offthe coast of Hoi An city, are home to 1,500ha of tropical forests and 6,700haof sea featuring a wide range of marine fauna and flora, including manyendangered species. It also houses 1.26sq.km of coral reefs.-VNA
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