Indonesia released 25 green sea turtles into the ocean on Wednesday, after the endangered animals were rescued from poachers last month. They were set free at the Indonesian resort island of Bali.
The turtles were part of 36 green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) rescued in July from illegal traffickers. The remaining 11 turtles will be released back into their natural habitat on Sunday, the Agency for Conservation of Natural Resources of Bali said.
The world’s population of green sea turtles is declining tremendously due to threats like poaching, habitat loss, overhunting, and marine pollution.
According to a report released by conservation group TRAFFIC based on data from 2015 to 2018, Indonesia is one of the major regional hubs of international trafficking of marine turtles, supplying demand from China, Malaysia and Vietnam.
All sea turtles are protected under Indonesian law. An offender could face a jail term of up to five years and a maximum fine of 100 million rupiah’s ($6,900) if found guilty of illegal sea turtle trade.
Source: Reuters
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