A 'fated connection' with sea turtles.

QTO - Fisherman Bui Dinh Thuy, from Hamlet 4, Cua Viet Commune, has rescued sea turtles from numerous "ghost nets" floating in the vast ocean. For Mr. Thuy, it is both a responsibility and a "destiny" connected to these "messengers" of the sea.

Whenever sea turtles are mentioned, Mr. Thuy's eyes light up. He then recounts fascinating stories about these creatures, flowing like the waves of the sea. Mr. Thuy shared that the presence of sea turtles is the most reliable "evidence" to determine whether a sea area is polluted or clean. This is because sea turtles only choose pristine areas, minimally affected by human activity, to breed. There are five species of sea turtles in the Quang Tri sea area: green turtles (hawksbill turtles), leatherback turtles, hawksbill turtles, olive ridley turtles, and olive ridley turtles. Mr. Thuy recalled that in the past, from around March to August (lunar calendar) each year was the season for sea turtles to come ashore to lay eggs.

After each thunderstorm, sea turtles wait until nightfall and the tide is low before quietly crawling ashore. They use their hind legs to dig a hole about 50-60 cm deep and 20 cm wide and begin laying their eggs. In batches, eggs shaped like ping-pong balls fall into the hole. After laying their eggs, the turtles use their hind legs to fill the hole with sand and compact it tightly.

Not stopping there, the mother turtle continues to use her hind legs to fill the 5-6 meter-long nest with sand for camouflage. The nesting and egg-laying process lasts about 4-5 hours, until the tide rises, at which point the mother turtle returns to the sea. Approximately two months later, the eggs hatch into baby turtles.

Fisherman Bui Dinh Thuy (sitting in the middle) with authorities and local people release sea turtles back into the ocean - Photo: SH

In their attempt to emerge from their shells, the sand will collapse and fill the gaps, allowing the hatchlings to gradually crawl to the surface. After leaving the nest, the hatchlings don't immediately go to the sea but remain still, waiting for their siblings to arrive. During this waiting period and while traveling several tens of meters to the sea, the hatchlings memorize their birthplace. When they reach reproductive age, the sea turtles will return to that exact spot to mate and lay eggs, continuing their journey to perpetuate the species.

According to the laws of nature, for every 1,000 baby turtles that hatch, only a few survive and reach adulthood. During the breeding season, a mother turtle can lay 8 to 11 nests, each containing between 70 and 200 eggs, depending on the maturity of the individual turtle...

Mr. Thuy said that sea turtles are facing the problem of "ghost nets" and plastic waste. "Ghost nets," simply put, are torn fishing nets floating on the sea that are not collected, becoming a source of hazardous waste that seriously affects the ecosystem. To date, many fishermen still do not have the habit of collecting plastic waste at sea. After a few fishing trips, the nets get torn; those that are still usable are mended, but those that are too torn into small pieces are rarely collected and brought ashore. Many nets are also lost during fishing trips.

Recently, while fishing in the Con Co fishing grounds, Mr. Thuy's boat discovered three green sea turtles (hawksbill turtles) caught in a "ghost net" drifting at sea. Each turtle weighed approximately 1.5 kg, with a shell length of about 25 cm and a width of 20 cm. Mr. Thuy carefully freed them, brought them onto his boat for care, and transported them safely ashore. The following morning, the three sea turtles were released back into their natural environment in the presence of authorities, locals, and tourists at Cua Viet beach.

Mr. Truong Huu Thu, an official from the Con Co Island Marine Reserve Management Board, stated that according to the CITES Convention, sea turtles are exceptionally rare animals, belonging to group 1B, and are on the list of endangered wild animals, strictly prohibiting all acts of buying, selling, and transporting them. From 2010 to the present, the Con Co Island Marine Reserve Management Board has successfully rescued over 160 sea turtles.

In addition, the Management Board has established a 26-person sea turtle rescue volunteer team in coastal communes and Con Co Island. The volunteers receive training in sea turtle conservation, first aid, and reintroduction of turtles in distress. They also participate in surveying nesting grounds and educating and encouraging fishermen to release turtles back into the sea if they accidentally catch them.

The Con Co Island Marine Reserve Management Board has also organized training courses and disseminated knowledge about sea turtle conservation and rescue to fishermen. As a result, many fishermen, like Mr. Bui Dinh Thuy, are always ready to join hands and contribute to the efforts of the authorities in protecting this rare species.

Sea turtle conservation is not only the responsibility of government agencies but of the entire society. Just small, practical actions such as limiting the use of single-use plastics, not discarding broken fishing nets into the sea, or promptly reporting sea turtles in distress to authorities, can contribute to protecting these "ambassadors of the ocean."

Sy Hoang

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/xa-hoi/202605/duyen-no-voi-rua-bien-4c13428/