Cristina Hodgson
FIFTY schoolchildren from the Santo Cristo del Mar school in Punta Umbria and members of the Rumbo Fijo association have participated in the release of three loggerhead turtles (Caretta Caretta) in Punta Umbria.
The release forms part of the ‘SOS Caretta’ project, which, as a main objective, is the promotion of sea turtle rescue by the fishing sector in the Gulf of Cadiz and Strait of Gibraltar.
The ‘SOS Caretta’ project, whose name is inspired by the most common species of sea turtle in this region, the common or loggerhead turtle, also aims to promote a close relationship in Andalucia between the different sectors involved in the conservation and rescue of sea turtles including: the Andalucian Federation of Fishermen’s Guilds, the Andalucian Federation of Fishing Associations and the Andalucian Ports Agency of Andalucia.
“The permanent cooperation of the sectors involved is essential for conservation purposes.” said Pedro Yórquez, the territorial delegate of Sustainability, Environment and Blue Economy.
The fishermen of the province of Huelva have already contributed seven rescues to the ‘SOS Caretta’ project, five by the Cofradía Santo Cristo del Mar de Punta Umbría and two by the Cofradía de Pescadores Virgen del Carmen de Isla Cristina.
The overall balance of the project’s actions tallies the rescue and release of 33 sea turtles.
The latest release, aided by schoolchildren from the Santo Cristo del Mar school saw the return into the sea of ‘Charly’ and ‘Flecha’, weighing 20 and 35 kilos respectively, both taken to port by boats of Cofradía Santo Cristo del Mar.
The third turtle release was ‘Cris’, a small specimen weighing 2.7 kilos, found on Cortadura Beach (Cadiz).
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