NIFTDC releases 3 more sea turtles to the sea
PROTECTING ENDANGERED SPECIES
THREE endangered species of sea turtles recovered by the National Integrated Fisheries Technology and Development Center (NIFTDC) from their finders were released back to the sea on March 22.
When NIFTDC Chief Dr. Westly Rosario led the release of the turtles back to the sea, it was witnessed by pupils of the East Central Elementary School of San Fabian and their science teacher Denton Caballero who was responsible for retrieving one of the turtles from a couple that found it in the Lingayen Gulf on March 19.
Caballero convinced the wife from Tempra Guilig, San Fabian to turn over the Hawksbill turtle (eretmochelys imbricate) to him so he can bring it to NIFTDC, a research facility of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) in Bonuan Binloc, Dagupan City, for proper care.
The male Hawksbill turtle, unofficially christened by the pupils as “Jojo”, taken from the nickname of a presidential candidate, weighed 2.5 kilograms with a length of 11.7 inches and a width of 9.2 inches.
The two other turtles were named after two other male presidential candidates.
The other turtle released to the sea was a male Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia midas) that is brownish in color and named ‘Mar’. It was found by a GMA Dagupan reporter in September 2015 who immediately turned it over to NIFTDC.
‘Mar’ weighed 9. 2 kilograms, at least 22.5 inches long.
‘Digong’, the third turtle, also a male Hawksbill turtle (eremochelys imbricate) was found by PO2 Terry Brines of the San Fabian Police on Oct. 18, 2015. It weighed 13 kilograms, with a length of 27 inches and a width of 17.5 inches.
Rosario said before the turtles were released, metal tags were nailed on the edge of their shells with the markings of BFAR/NIFTDC and the date when they were released back to the sea, 3-22-16.
He said the tagging of the turtles will advise any future finder to release them back to the sea.
Since December 14, 2010, 16 sea turtles found by fishermen have already been released by NIFTDC back to the sea. Those found dead were buried at NIFTDC Fish Cemetery.
Rosario said sea turtles are now a protected species since poachers have started hunting them for food. (Leonardo Micua)
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