The person who received a certificate of merit from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Dinh province, unexpectedly "encountered" a rare tortoiseshell for the second time.

As one of the 7 fishermen with outstanding achievements in sea turtle conservation awarded a certificate of merit by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Dinh in 2024, fisherman Le Van Hoi unexpectedly "encountered" the rare hawksbill turtle for the second time.

Fishermen "encounter" rare hawksbill turtle for the second time

On December 14, the Department of Fisheries (Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Dinh province) said that during the fishing process, fishermen of the province rescued a sea turtle that was caught in a hook and released it back into the ocean.

Accordingly, while fishing, fisherman Le Van Hoi (born in 1991, in Tam Quan Nam ward, Hoai Nhon town, captain of fishing boat BD 97417 TS) discovered a sea turtle about 0.7m long and weighing about 18kg caught on a hook.

The person who received a certificate of merit from the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Dinh province, unexpectedly "encountered" a rare tortoiseshell turtle for the second time. CLIP: NDCC.

According to fisherman Le Van Hoi, at this time the weather was big waves and strong winds, and there was no net on the boat to scoop the turtles onto the boat.

Knowing that it was impossible to pull the turtle onto the boat because there was a risk that the hook would get stuck deep in the turtle's throat and injure the turtle, the fishermen just pulled the turtle closer to the side of the boat and tried to cut the fishing line as close to the turtle's mouth as possible.

"As soon as the fishing line was cut, the sea turtle quickly swam away," said fisherman Hoi.

Through the images provided by fishermen, officials from the Binh Dinh Fisheries Department identified this as a species of tortoiseshell turtle, with the scientific name Lepidochelys olivacea, classified as an endangered species by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).

This is the pineapple tortoiseshell turtle, scientifically named Lepidochelys olivacea, an endangered species. Photo: NDCC.

When discovering a sea turtle caught in a fishing net, what is the correct way to handle it?

According to the Binh Dinh Fisheries Department, since the beginning of 2024, 6 sea turtles (2 hawksbill turtles, 2 hawksbill turtles and 2 green turtles) have been rescued and released back into the sea by fishermen. For fisherman Le Van Hoi, this is the second time this year that he and his crew have successfully rescued 2 hawksbill turtles.

Mr. Hoi is also one of 7 fishermen with outstanding achievements in sea turtle conservation work to be awarded a certificate of merit by the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Binh Dinh in 2024.

Regarding how to handle the situation when discovering a sea turtle caught in a fishing net, the fisheries sector has given specific instructions. That is, during the initial rescue process, if the turtle is small, use a net to bring it onto the ship. Absolutely do not pull the fishing line, do not use a hooked spear (fish spear) to pull the turtle up, do not grab the turtle's two front legs or two face sockets.

Sea turtles were "rescued" and returned to their wild habitat. Photo: NDCC.

If the turtle is too large to be brought onto the boat, try to pull it close to the side of the boat, avoiding putting too much tension on the fishing line. Then, cut the fishing line as close to the turtle's mouth as possible.

During the process of removing the hook, if the hook is stuck in the turtle's mouth, try to cut the barb of the hook before removing the entire hook. If the turtle has swallowed the hook, cut the fishing line as short as possible.

If the hook is stuck outside the turtle's body, gently remove it. If this fails, cut the fishing line as short as possible.

Source: https://danviet.vn/nguoi-duoc-so-nnptnt-binh-dinh-tang-giay-khen-lan-thu-2-bat-ngo-cham-mat-doi-moi-quy-hiem-20241214174624324.htm