Coast Guards Free Rare Turtle Snagged In Fishing Net

This footage shows coast guards trying to cut an endangered sea turtle free from a fishing net after the poor sea critter was tangled in it.

The incident took place off the coast of the north-western Indian state of Gujarat near the maritime boundary with Pakistan.

According to reports, the olive ridley sea turtle (Lepidochelys olivacea), categorised as ‘vulnerable’ by the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), became entangled in a fishing net.

In the video shared online by the Indian Coast Guard (ICG), officials in a dinghy are seen cutting the net to free the rare sea turtle.

Credit: AsiaWire
Eventually, the turtle was released back into the water

Reports said that the marine turtle was safely released back into the sea after it was freed from the net.

The ICG accompanied the clip with the message: “In a unique rescue operation, a Coast Guard ship rescued a worldwide vulnerable and endangered olive ridley turtle entangled in a net at sea off [the] Indo-Pak maritime boundary line and released her into the sea.”

Olive ridley turtles are found in tropical waters and nest along the Indian coast.

Two nesting grounds are located near to the state of Gujarat, although the majority are located along the west coast of the US.

They are widely hunted for their meat, eggs and shells, while fishing practices often cause a large number of turtle deaths every year, according to reports.


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Story By: Lee BullenSub-EditorJoseph Golder,  Agency: AsiaWire

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