Papua Conservation Agency Releases 20 'Vulnerable' Olive Ridley Sea Turtles

TheIndonesia.id - The Center for Natural Resources Conservation (BBKSDA) Papua has recently released 20 olive ridley sea turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), which is classified as vulnerable species, to the Papuan waters.

The sea turtles were taken to Marekisi Beach in Yewena village, Jayapura regency, Papua province to then be released to the sea, and acting head of BBKSDA Papua Aziz Bakri said the occasion was held to celebrate the annual World Turtle Day on May 23.

“This shows public’s interest on the conservation of biodiversity, especially the olive ridleys,” Bakri said, as reported by Antara on Wednesday, June 1.

He added that olive ridley turtles has been declared vulnerable, and in Indonesia, it’s one of the protected animals as mandated in a 2018 ministerial regulation issued by the Minister of Environment and Forestry.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), meanwhile, has also added Lepidochelys olivacea into the list of vulnerable species.

“This means this species is endangered unless the situation that threatens its survival and reproduction gradually improves,” the BBKSDA head explained.

BBKSDA Papua released the 20 animals on Saturday, May 28, with conservation village Marekisi Nung and state-owned electricity company PLN in Maluku and Papua – which also handed Rp75 million (US$5,200) to the village to support the olive riddle turtle conservation effort.

“The grant will be used to build five hatcheries for sea turtles with total capacity of up to 800 hatchlings,” Bakri revealed.