60 injured turtles found

SOME 60 sea turtles have been found injured by fishing lines with multiple hooks in just six days between Majorca and Sardinia.
This gives an idea of the effects of this method of fishing on this species.
The discovery was made by La Caixa's Obra Social scientific vessel, the Vell Mari and was made public by Ferran Alegre, President of the Centre for the Recuperation of Marine Animals, as the Vell Mari returned to Palma. He was presenting the programme “La Caixa, in favour of the sea: the route of the Vell Mari”. The Vell Mari has covered more than 3'800 miles, 500 of which were with fishing boats using the lines with multiple hooks. Its crew has done 150 dives and taken some 10'000 photographs. Ferran Alegre highlighted the fact that “in rescuing the injured sea turtles, we cannot go against the fisherman, but we must collaborate with them if conservation strategies are to be really effective. We accompanied these fishing boats between Majorca and Sardinia for six days and the result has been the recovery of 60 injured sea turtles, when the normal amount treated by the recuperation centre is 20 to 30 a year. “The fishermen told us about the injured sea turtles and brought them to us so we could treat them on the Vell Mari, where we have an operating theatre”. Among others at the presentation were: Jaume Matas, leader of the Balearic Government; the Executive Director of Obra Social, Josep Francesc de Conrado; and La Caixa's Delegate to the Balearics, Robert Leporace.