A female Olive Ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys Olivacea) – an endangered species, moves back to the sea at a beach of Cham Islands, off the coast of Hoi An. The turtle was trapped in a fishing net in Quang Nam Province before being rescued.

The MPA’s communication section member, Huynh Thuy Huong, confirmed to Việt Nam News that the turtle moved back to the sea at Bac beach of the Cham Islands on July 14.

She said the turtle was trapped in a fishing net on the beach of Tam Thanh Commune in Quang Nam Province in February. It was exhausted with different injuries to its shell, breastplate and front limbs, while too much waste oil and plastic waste was stuck inside the animal.

The turtle, which weighed 13.5kg, had increased to 17kg after five months before heading back to the ocean.

A female Olive Ridley sea turtle is in a box before being released to the ocean. The turtle was released at the Bac beach of Cham Islands. Photos courtesy Huynh Thuy Huong

Le Chien, head of the SaSa team, said the treatment and care process for the endangered turtle was supported by a sea turtle hospital in Florida, the US.

According to the Cham Islands MPA, 30 sea turtles have become trapped in fishing nets off the islands since 2018. Two-thirds of the turtles died after becoming entangled.

The city of Hoi An has been building sea turtle conservation centres on beaches of the Cham Islands, and expanding the core zone for special protection to 30 per cent of total 33,000ha.

Cham Islands-Hoi An was recognised as a world biosphere reserve site from 2009.

Only seven species of sea turtle exist in the world, and five of those are found living in Vietnam.  VNS

Cham Islands successfully protect biodiversity

Local fisherman Huynh Tan Loc now earned his living mostly from home-stay and cuisine service or night-fishing on boat rather than fishing.