VietNamNet Bridge – Scientists said that the sea turtle that was captured in the central province of Nghe An on May 2, is facing extinction and they need protection.


Fishermen in Tien Thuy commune, Quynh Luu district on May 2, discovered the turtle floating to the shore. They captured the turtle and tied it by a rope. With a soft black carapace covered with white spots and stripes of thorns, the turtle is thought to be a rare leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea). The local authorities persuaded fishermen to release the turtle back into the sea on May 3.

Prof. Le Nguyen Ngat, from the Biology Faculty of the Hanoi Teacher Training University, said that this species of turtle was named in the Vietnam Red Book 2007. The species is extremely rare in the whole world and it is extremely endangered.

Leatherback turtles live in all oceans in the world. In Vietnam, they have been seen in Do Son (Hai Phong province), Khanh Hoa, Phu Quoc (Kien Giang province and Con Dao (Ba Ria-Vung Tau province).

Prof. Ngat added that in the last 400 years (1558-1958), only 40 individuals of this species have been caught in the world, including six in Vietnam from 1957-1978. The one captured on May 2 in Nghe An is the first seen since 1978.

The World Wildlife Fund (WWF) also worries about the extinction of leatherback turtles, though this species has existed for over millions of years. WWF’s research reveals that hundreds of dead leatherback turtles were found on beaches.

Leatherback turtles lay a few eggs, so if the number of dead turtles is higher than the number of newborn turtles, this species will gradually disappear, WWF has warned.

Major threats for leatherback turtles are human’s catching activities, pollution and diseases. From 1980 to 1990, the number of sea turtle in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean fell by over 90 percent. WWF has called for people to protect coastal environment to facilitate turtle nesting.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed leatherback turtle as extremely endangered species in the world.

According to IUCN, the leatherback turtle is among five of seven sea turtle species in Vietnam. All of the five species are considered as seriously endangered.

PV