Authorities on the Indonesian island of Bali said they rescued 43 endangered green sea turtles on Friday (January 13), during a routine navy operation where they stumbled across poachers out at sea.
The Chelonia mydas, a green turtle species that are protected in Indonesia, were brought to a naval base and were being looked after by wildlife officials who will later release them back into the wild.
"This is the success of the joint naval base team, such that we can save about 43 green turtles alive and well," local navy commander, I Dewa Rake Susila told reporters. Authorities said the navy came across the turtle poachers in the Gilimanuk area, who fled and left behind their loot.
Indonesia has become a hub of international trafficking of marine turtles, feeding demand from countries like Malaysia, Vietnam, and China.
The population of green turtles, one the largest sea turtles, has been on a significant decline in recent years due to hunting, loss of beach nesting sites, and getting caught in fishing gear. They are also victims of the world's growing ocean plastics crisis, as they die after ingesting a large number of plastics.
Comments (0)