Valencia (EFE).- The fourth edition of the awareness campaign “Turtles in the Mediterranean”, an initiative of the Oceanogràfic Foundation together with the Seville Aquarium and the Azul Marino Foundation, this year extends its radius of action to Andalusia and they are already 80 adhered municipalities, from the Andalusian region, the Valencian Community, Murcia and the Balearic Islands.
Under the slogan “Here we save turtles” the information campaign is aimed at protecting these animals during the nesting season and informs about what to do in the event of sighting a sea turtle, they indicate from the Oceanogràfic.
This fourth edition once again has the support of the Department of Agriculture, Rural Development, Climate Emergency and Ecological Transition of the Generalitat Valenciana, FGV, 112 Emergencias, City of Arts and Sciences, University of Valencia and Global Omnium.
The president of the Oceanogràfic Foundation, Celia Calabuig, presented this year’s edition this morning at El Parador de El Saler, which includes the installation of 1,700 informative posters.
informative action
During the event, the researcher José Luis Crespo, responsible for Conservation at the Oceanogràfic Foundation, explained the Foundation’s work with sea turtles in the fields of information, education and research, as well as its importance for the marine world.
Also present were representatives of the municipalities of Sueca, El Perelló, Gandia and La Pobla de Farnals, the Director of Institutional Relations of CACSA, Julio Monreal, personnel from the Fundación Azul Marino, as well as the Fundación Valencia Club de Futbol with some of inclusive VCF players.
An act that has been completed with the release into the sea of a sea turtle recovered in the Sea Animal Recovery and Conservation Area (ARCA) of the Oceanogràfic Foundation.
This awareness campaign consists of the placement of more than 1,700 posters on ‘mupis’ in the towns and on other supports of the Valencia Metro, Alicante Tram and Paradores de Turismo de playas.
The posters will be located in the points of greatest attendance and visibility to inform bathers and travelers of the presence of sea turtles on the Mediterranean coast and that, in the event of a sighting, it is necessary to call 112 in order to activate the Network of Stranding, formed by the University of Valencia, Department of Agriculture and Ecological Transition and the Oceanogràfic Foundation itself.
Four nests on the beaches of the Community
In the case of the Valencian Community, the Fundación Oceanogràfic rescue team is in charge of traveling to the area to assess the state of the animal and transfer it, if necessary, to ARCA del Mar, where it recovers until it can return. back to the sea.
The dates of the campaign are crucial for the conservation of the species, since it is the season in which the nesting takes place, that is to say, the approach to the beach of the females to deposit their eggs in the points they consider suitable, therefore that it is essential that they are not disturbed.
As there has been an increase in nests in recent years and, due to the philopatry of these animals, it is possible that a good number of nestings will be recorded again.
In fact, so far this season there have already been four spawnings on our beaches, two in Dénia, one in Gandía and a fourth in Elche.
Release the turtle “Mestalla” into the sea
At the end of the presentation, authorities, assistants and technicians from the Oceanogràfic Foundation went to El Saler beach to say goodbye to the sea to sea turtle number 752 recovered in the ARCA del Mar.
A female of 14 kilos that entered the Oceanographic facilities of the City of Arts and Sciences from Peñíscola after being accidentally caught by a fishing boat.
The VCF Inclusive players have been in charge of “baptizing” the turtle with the name of “Mestalla”.