Italy, June 14, (Liv/Adnkronos/GNA) – Eight sea turtles were returned today to the Mediterranean in five Italian locations, while the liberation of the ninth is expected at sunset, in the sea of Lampedusa.
From Genoa to Stintino, passing through Viareggio, Pescara and Castro, the Italian turtle day promoted by Plastic free onlus, a voluntary organization committed to combating plastic pollution, has transformed the return to the sea of recovered and cared for specimens in a great national message of protection of biodiversity, environmental awareness and collective responsibility.
The initiative, organized in view of the ‘World sea turtle day’ that is celebrated next Tuesday, June 16, involved recovery centers, Port Offices, marine protected areas, national parks, scientific bodies, associations, local institutions, volunteers and citizens. A widespread network that, throughout the day, is allowing nine specimens of Caretta caretta to return to their natural habitat, after often long and complex treatment paths.
Each turtle returned to the sea, tells one of the main threats that today affect marine ecosystems, plastic ingested, including fragments also deriving from balloons left to fly and then dispersed in the environment, lines, hooks and fishing nets, accidental catches, trauma from boats, loss of habitats and increasing impact of human activities.
Animals with a very ancient evolutionary history, present on Earth for over 280 million years, today find themselves in difficulty precisely because of the behaviors of man.
For Plastic Free, which has the sea turtle as a symbol, the Italian turtle day was an opportunity to remember that, returning a turtle to the sea means defending a fragile balance, because these specimens are precious sentinels of the state of health of marine ecosystems. Their presence contributes to the maintenance of habitats and the food chain; the difficulties they encounter today, from plastic to nets, from hooks to nautical traffic, instead tell a sea increasingly exposed to the pressure of human activities.
“The release of nine turtles in a single day, from North to South, is a great emotion, but above all a call to responsibility – explains Rosapia Reale, vice president of Plastic free onlus-. Sea turtles have resisted for millions of years, but today they are put in difficulty by plastic, intensive fishing, nautical traffic and many daily behaviors that seem small, but produce enormous consequences. Every turtle that returns to the sea is a victory, but also a reminder: we must reduce to the root what brings them to the centers of recovery.”
During the day, the moments of release were accompanied by popular activities aimed at citizens, with biologists, veterinarians, volunteers and operators of the recovery centers committed to tell the stories of the freed animals and the work necessary to help, treat them and prepare them for return to the sea.
The day will end at sunset in Lampedusa, where the liberation of Lina, a sea turtle rescued last October by the Harbour Authority, is scheduled. The intervention, carried out at night and in prohibitive weather conditions, had also required the entry into the water of a diver to free the animal, that was entangled in a rock on the seabed.
Subsequently operated and amputated, the turtle was treated at the Provincial Wildlife Recovery Center and sea turtles of Agrigento. The return to the sea is the result of the commitment of Lampedusa turtle rescue, the volunteers of the Rescue Unit of Lampedusa, the Harbour Authority and Plastic free, and will be accompanied by the lookout that contributed to its rescue.
GNA