First Aid Of The Sea The Turtle Saved By Zoomarine Released In Ponza This Morning

FOUND 3 MONTHS AGO ALONG THE LAZIAL COAST, IT WAS IN CARE AT THE MARINE PARK

WHICH PROMOTES A PROJECT FOR THE PROTECTION OF BEACHED TURTLES FOR YEARS

Rome, 7 December 2019. Marianna, the first of the three turtles in difficulty rescued on the coasts of Lazio and treated by the “first aid of the sea” of Zoomarine, returned to the sea this morning. The turtle, a young specimen of Caretta caretta aged 10 years and weighing 20 kg, was released into the sea off the coast of Anzio, towards the island of Ponza, where it was rescued on 30 August in an evident state of difficulty.

The release of the young turtle was an opportunity to celebrate a small festival of the sea, in the presence of fishermen, biologists, personnel of the State Police and the TartaLazio regional network that works to rescue and rescue the turtles stranded along the coasts of the region. .

A project involving the Marine Turtles Recovery Center of Zoomarine Trust Onlus, the first and only first aid facility operational since 2015 in the Lazio region. The turtle was put back into the sea aboard two boats, a patrol boat and a rubber dinghy of the State Police, accompanied by a gozzo from the fishermen’s cooperative of Anzio.

The idea of ​​involving fishermen aims to develop greater awareness on the subject, since often the reason for stranding is precisely the fishing nets. It also happens frequently that fishermen are the first to find turtles in difficulty. The turtle, belonging to the Caretta caretta species, was hosted at the Zoomarine First Aid Center for about three months.

Under the supervision of Dr. Flavio Maggi, Zoomarine medical director and coordinator of the First Aid Center, the turtle was treated for a kidney infection. He also had difficulty diving and feeding, also due to plastic residues present in the water he had ingested. Unfortunately, a frequent problem in turtles beached or rescued at sea. At the moment two other very young turtles, specimens of 5 and 15 cm, are being treated at Zoomarine which, in 2019 alone, has assisted 9 turtles in difficulty.

Zoomarine has always been very attentive in medical / scientific research and in the protection of marine animals. The Park inaugurated in 2015 the first and only Sea Turtle Recovery Center in Lazio, a real “first aid” for these animals. Zoomarine has also collaborated with the Directorate of the Environment Department of the Lazio Region to establish a regional network called TartaLazio for the recovery, rescue and care of sea turtles.

TartaLazio is a network made up of all the competent Bodies in the field of marine-coastal environment protection, prompt intervention at sea and hygiene-health protection: Port Authorities, Naval Stations of the Guardia di Finanza, Ministry of the Environment, ISPRA, Corps State Forestry (CITES Command, Local Health Agencies, Experimental Zooprophylactic Institute of Lazio and Tuscany, Regional Agency for the Development and Innovation of Agriculture of Lazio, Regional Agency for Parks, Regional and National Protected Natural Areas) .

The Zoomarine First Aid Center was built according to the ISPRA 89/2013 Guidelines and, thanks to its central position, it can accommodate specimens from all over the Lazio coast (327 km). All the materials used, the premises and the equipment guarantee high quality standards. The total area is 150 square meters and the tanks have a volume ranging from 900 to 2,000 liters.

The highly specialized Zoomarine staff, from 2006 to today, have intervened on over 50 turtle strandings.

“The stranding is mainly due to human behavior: unselective fishing activities, accidents with boats and pollution – explains Dr. Renato Lenzi, one of the world’s leading experts in marine animals, CEO of Zoomarine -. The phenomenon of turtle stranding and the protection of marine fauna are issues of global interest and are part of Zoomarine’s mission which, through the discovery of the Park’s animals and according to a philosophy of edutainment, teaches to love and respect nature. Our marine First Aid therefore plays an important role in the conservation of turtles and contributes to research and raising public awareness on the importance of protecting marine fauna also through didactic-educational activities, thematic exhibitions and initiatives of public interest ” .