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Coast guard rescues 12 green sea turtle that had been hunted in the Limón area By
the A.M. Costa Rica staff
Officers of the National Coast Guard Service rescued 12 green sea turtle Tuesday that had been captured. That was in the town of Cieneguita* in Limón. According to the police report, in the Caribbean area it is considered normal to consume turtle meat, especially in bars. At the site of where the turtles were hidden was a Costa Rican man, surnamed Winn, who was sent to the cells of the Public Ministry, with an accusation for suspicion of illegal hunting of sea turtles. The man must wait for a judge to decide on pre-trial measures. "Several of the large green turtles rescued last night had been harpooned and bled in various parts of their carapace," said the park rangers in their report. Despite the injuries caused by harpoons, no turtles had fatal injuries and, after a period of treatment and recovery, they will be returned to their habitat in the waters of the Caribbean coast, police said. According to Martín Arias Araya, general director of the National Coast Guard Service, his officers in a routine patrol in the area of Cieneguita saw six green turtles lying upside down on the beach. Then, when they arrived to rescue the turtles they "saw trailing signs and followed the trail until finding a house, where they found inside six other turtles," said Arias. The rescued turtles were taken to the Jaguar Rescue Center in Puerto Viejo south of Limón. After a period of recovery and attention by specialists, they will be returned to the sea. According to the coastguard, statement, the green turtle is called green because their fat under the shell is that color. This species is one of the largest, measuring 71 cm to 1.5 m in length and maintaining a weight of 68 to 190 kg. "The largest green turtle that has ever registered reached the amazing weight of 395 kilos," the coast guard said in its report. "The males are bigger than the females, their heads are small compared to their bodies and their fins in the shape of rowing are perfectly adapted for swimming." According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species green turtle threats include continued hunting, poaching, and egg harvesting. More dangerous are unintentional threats, including boat strikes, fishermen's nets that lack turtle excluder devices, pollution, and habitat destruction, the organization said. ---------------- Have you heard of food made using turtle meat as an ingredient? We would like to know your thoughts on this story. Send your comments to: news@amcostarica.com |
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