Wednesday, January 02, 2008 Green turtle freed on Zamboanga coast By Bong Garcia
ZAMBOANGA City and village officials, as well as fisher folks, returned on Saturday a huge female green turtle back to the sea in this city's eastern coastal barangay.
Mayor Celso Lobregat, who spearheaded the group, said the green sea turtle was freed around 6 p.m. in the coast of barangay Bolong, one of the docking places of marginal fishermen in Zamboanga City.
Lobregat said the turtle, weighing 80 kilos, was caught by fishermen after it got entangled in their fishing net while they were fishing near the coast of Bolong.
He said the fishermen immediately reported and turned over the turtle to Bolong village chief Antonio Envagelista after docking at the shore of the same barangay.
It was Evangelista who reported to Lobregat, prompting the mayor to rush to Bolong along with City Agriculturist Diosdado Palacat and some personnel from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
After the proper identification and placing of a tag, the turtle was sent back to its natural habitat.
Lobregat commended the fishermen for not killing the green turtle, which is one of the endangered marine species.
The mayor appealed to fishermen to help preserve turtles, which are now nearing extinction.
