Punta Campanella, Diego Armando and Zia Franca free again. The two turtles had been saved by the staff of the marine protected area and by fishermen at the beginning of the year.
Diego Armando and Zia Franca are free again. The two sea turtles were rescued in recent months by the staff of the Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area and cared for by the Marine Turtle Research Center of the A. Dohrn Zoological Station.
Today they were released into the sea off Punta Campanella.
Also present were the Coast Guard with a patrol boat and Lieutenant Marco Caputo, a naval unit of the Naval Air Operations Department of the Guardia di Finanza of Naples, the president of the Marine Protected Area, Lucio Cacace, the councilors of the CDA of the Park, Antonino Maresca and Giancarlo Spezie and Pietro Vuolo of MareVivo.
Diego Armando is an adult male with a 50cm carapace and a weight of 70kg, named after the fisherman who saved him, Luigi Guida. He was rescued on the same day, January 8, that Eleonora was rescued, the female who crossed the peninsula, from Tuscany to Sicily, released on February 19 in the waters of the Park.
Aunt Franca is a very large female, about 80cm and weighing 65kg. The fishermen Giulio Oliviero, Ciro Criscuolo and Vincenzo De Mai found her in the net where she accidentally ended up on February 3rd. And they immediately contacted the Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area which intervened on site to save the animal.
The Caretta caretta had a wound on the back of its carapace. Not recent, at least 2-3 months before it ended up in the fishing net and, probably, caused by an impact. The wound was quite deep but has now healed completely, thanks to the care of the Turtle Point of Portici.
Both turtles showed slight signs of lung embolism due to the rapid ascent to the surface. A problem that can also lead to the death of the animal if not treated in time.
For this reason, the Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area invites all fishermen to notify the Port Authority or the relevant rescue centres if they find turtles in their nets and not to throw them immediately into the sea, even if they appear to be in good condition.
“In 60% of recoveries, Caretta caretta have health problems such as infections on their shells, hooks in their throats, plastic in their stomachs, embolisms or other pathologies that could cause their death over time,” says Domenico Sgambati, marine biologist who coordinates recoveries for the Punta Campanella MPA. “By taking them to a rescue and assistance center, they will be treated in the best possible way and will be able to return to the sea in perfect health.”
“In the southern area of the Gulf of Naples and the northern area of the Gulf of Salerno, in case of a turtle in the net or in difficulty, you can also contact the Punta Campanella Marine Protected Area which in 13 years has recovered around 170 specimens of Caretta caretta - underlines the President of the Park, Lucio Cacace - We are working with the region to open a first aid centre in the area, in order to offer an even better service in the protection of these splendid animals”.
Since the beginning of the year, the MPA has already saved and recovered 4 specimens, thanks to the sensitivity of the fishermen. But 20 dead sea turtles have also been recorded in Campania in 2021. These are the data collected by ENPA Salerno which is part - together with the Marine Turtle Research Center of the A. Dohrn Zoological Station, the Punta Campanella MPA, the Pioppi Legambiente Sea Museum, Naturart and Ardea - of the regional coordination that deals with the protection of Caretta caretta in Campania. Worrying numbers that show how important it is to contact the reference centers in case of sightings of turtles in difficulty. Meanwhile, monitoring activities are already being planned for the summer nesting of the species. In recent years, the region has become a real nursery for Caretta caretta, with numbers constantly growing. Last year the record with 32 nestings in Campania, especially in the Cilento area.
Video link: https://www.facebook.com/1616145815297505/posts/2986953434883396/
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