Fishers rescue 80-year-old turtle

BOLONG, Zamboanga City , Philippines  – An endangered leatherback turtle, estimated to be 80 years old, was rescued and released yesterday after it was accidentally captured by local fishermen in this fishing village 33 kilometers east of the city.

The leatherback turtle (dermochelys coriacea), the largest of all sea turtles, was entangled in a fishnet at about 1 p.m., said Mayor Celso Lobregat, who ordered the immediate release of the sea creature.

Lobregat said a group of fishermen led by Boy Jamili saw the turtle near the Eleven Group of Islands and immediately rescued it and towed it to shore.

“It’s too heavy that’s why we towed it to the shore,” the 36-year old fisherman said in Filipino. “This is the first time we saw such giant turtle.”

Officials and personnel from the Department of Agriculture and the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) said the turtle was in good condition.

Luis Lozano, PENRO specialist, said the female turtle weighed close to 200 kilograms and its carapace is 135 centimeters long and 79 centimeters wide.

Lozano said considering its size the turtle is estimated to be around 80 years old.

Lobregat, after assessing the endangered species, thanked villagers for their high level of wildlife awareness.

Bolong villagers have released scores of turtles the past years.

Lobregat named the giant turtle “Zamboangita” and it was clipped with a stainless steel tag for identification.