Public clamor builds up to save endangered sea turtles in captivity

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines  – Public pressure is picking up again for the release of at least four green sea turtles being held in captivity at the Oceanarium, a marine mammal park in Zamboanguita, Negros Oriental. This was after photographs, posted recently on Facebook, showed the current dismal state of these endangered animals.

The green sea turtles (Chelonia mydas) varied in sizes and are all held in one medium-sized rectangular concrete tank at the Oceanarium—about an hour’s drive south of this capital city—a facility that once was popular to tourists in its early years but is now depreciated due to “neglect.”

The green turtle, commonly found in Philippine waters, has been listed as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES), making it illegal to hunt them.

Steve de Neef, an environmentalist and a professional photographer/videographer who works with international advocacy groups, in a recent visit to the Oceanarium said he discovered how these green sea turtles were neither properly fed nor taken care of.

De Neef, who captured some “disturbing” images of the turtles swimming in dirty water in the tank, the photos of which he uploaded on his Facebook account, disclosed that he also witnessed some people touching the marine mammals with one woman even tugging at a turtle’s fin.

He lamented that on the day of his visit, the caretaker of the so-called marine park was not around to accommodate the visitors, much less keep an eye on the turtles to protect them from unnecessary human disturbance.

His photos were so gripping that many online comments reiterated prior calls for the shutdown of the facility and the immediate release of the green sea turtles to the wild. It was not immediately known what happened to the fifth turtle as according to Steve de Neef, he only saw four inside their swimming tank.

“It’s nothing new. We have received similar complaints about the turtles not receiving proper care and attention and not being fed properly,” said Mario Aragon, chief of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office II of the DENR in the province.

Oscar Mongcopa, CENRO II chief of the Protected Areas and Wildlife Sector, said the last monitoring of the Oceanarium in November 2011 confirmed the need to have the facility recommended for closure.

It was issued a Certificate of Wildlife Registration for five green sea turtles several years ago, to include some at their juvenile stage back then, said Aragon.

Aragon said that after Mongcopa’s report, his office forwarded a recommendation to the DENR-Region 7 to cancel the permit for the turtles and to close down the facility after noting some “signs of neglect”. These would include the apparent unwillingness of the current operators to build a larger holding tank for the turtles as well as their financial inability to maintain the Oceanarium, he said.

One issue that needs careful discussion and preparation however, in case the facility’s permit is cancelled, would be the future of the green sea turtles, such as adaptation to the wilds, said Mongcopa, adding that the animals after being used to feeding by humans would no longer be self-reliant to survive.

Other dangers he cited include the turtles becoming prone to fisheries accidental catch or even being hunted down for their meat, Mongcopa said as he welcome any sectors willing to take custody of these marine animals.

De Neef admitted the need for more detailed work to prepare the sea turtles for their reintroduction to the wilds as releasing them to the sea might not be an option yet as they are “too weak.” (FREEMAN)