On Thursday, while operating some 30 nautical miles off Hoi A City, the crew of fishing boat QNa-90179 from Nui Thanh District saw a big leatherback turtle stranded in their boat.
The turtle rescued and released back into the ocean by Ha Tinh fishermen: Photo by Binh An
Recognising the importance of the turtle, the fishermen on the boat released it back into the sea.
This species of turtle can reach lengths of up to 2 metres and weigh 700 kilogrammes. It is classified as endangered in the Vietnam Red Data Book.
Fisherman Vo Cong Hau, who directly released the rare turtle, said that this was the second time he had witnessed a sea turtle stuck in nets. In April, he and other fishermen successfully rescued a 30-kilo sea turtle entangled in nets.
“Thanks to training and awareness campaigns about wildlife conservation, we’ve understood the significance of rare species conservation, especially sea turtles,” Hau added.
