A TOTAL of 120 Olive Ridley turtle gatchlings were released by officials of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and police in the province of Zamboanga del Norte.
Rosevirico Tan, DENR regional information officer, said the turtle hatchlings were released by personnel of the Community Environment and Natural Resources (Cenro) of Manukan, Zamboanga del Norte, and policemen of Manuel Roxas town last week at the shore of Dohinob village.
Tan said a resident of Dohinob village discovered the nesting of marine turtles and reported to the hatchery technician in the Marine Turtle Hatchery and Rescue Center of Cenro-Manukan.
Tan said the turtle eggs were immediately translocated to the Marine Turtle Hatchery and Rescue Center on November 2, 2021, due to the primary nesting site being submerged in seawater and vulnerable to predators.
After two months, 120 eggs hatched out of 134 eggs that were translocated to the hatchery and were immediately released back to the sea, Tan said.
He added that the Marine Turtle Hatchery was purposely established to ensure high hatching rate of marine turtle eggs.
He urged residents in coastal areas to immediately report to the nearest Cenro should they happen to find nesting of marine turtles in their place.
Olive Ridley turtles are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for Conservation of Nature since there has been a significant decrease in their population due to marine pollution and other factors, which affect the turtle's natural habitat. (SunStar Zamboanga)