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528 baby sea turtles released into Sarangani Bay

By Allen Estabillo

May 22, 2019, 6:14 pm

GENERAL SANTOS CITY -- Efforts to conserve and protect the endangered marine turtles in the Sarangani Bay received a major boost with the recent release of some 528 baby turtles into their natural habitat.  

Nilo Tamoria, executive director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 12 (Soccsksargen), said in a report released on Tuesday that the Olive Ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea) “made their way back home” on May 16 from the shores of Barangay Lumasal in Maasim town, Sarangani.

He said the baby sea turtles were hatched at the local government-run Maasim Pawikan Hatchery and Learning Center located in the same village.

“This is the biggest number of hatchlings recorded since its (hatchery) establishment in 2015,” said Tamoria, who led the release of the turtles.

The release was facilitated by the DENR - Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (Cenro) and the Maasim Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (Menro).

Tamoria said they released the turtle hatchlings late in the afternoon to ensure better chances of survival as studies showed that only 1 percent of those released usually survive into adulthood.

He noted that the journey of baby sea turtles “is not easy” as they are threatened by the presence of predators in the ocean, such as big fish and sharks, as well as pollution, especially the “presence of plastic wastes brought by humans.”

Forester Felix Robles, chief of DENR-12 Coastal Resource and Foreshore Management Section, said they let the turtles crawl from the shores to eventually help them remember where they came from.

Robles said female turtles that were released usually return to their birthplace in 20 years to 25 years to lay their eggs.

“They imprint on the unique magnetic field of their birthplace and the female ones use this information to later return to the nest,” he said.

The shores of Barangay Lumasal and nearby communities had been declared as nesting sites of sea turtles.

Maasim town’s Pawikan hatchery currently caters to thousands of sea turtle eggs that were collected at the site.

Since 2015, the facility has helped hatch and release back to the sea about 19,000 Olive Ridley hatchlings.

Alejandra Sison, acting head of the Maasim-Menro, said local residents have become more aware of the presence of the sea turtles in the area and have been helping in protection and conservation efforts.

“The (turtle) eggs come from the adjacent barangays. Our community is aware that if they see turtles laying eggs, they immediately send the eggs to the hatchery so that the caretakers could handle them properly,” Sison said.

Tamoria said he has directed personnel of the DENR-Cenro to conduct regular information and education campaigns among c
oastal residents, specifically on proper solid waste management.

“It is important to take care of our marine ecosystem. We need the help of local communities in protecting and conserving our coastal areas,” he said. (PNA)

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