The Guardia Civil has freed a marine turtle of a threatened species that had become trapped in an illegal fishing net off La Colonia beach, in the town of Manilva, according to the armed institute.
The incident took place on the morning of 13 January, when a report was received warning of a turtle entangled in a net about 25 metres from the shore. A patrol boat from the Maritime Service of the Guardia Civil in Málaga went to the scene, supported by officers from the Nature Protection Service (SEPRONA).
The officers freed the animal, which was wrapped in an illegal trammel net. After the rescue, they found that the turtle had no injuries. It was an adult specimen of approximately two metres in length, which, once freed, swam back out to open sea. The illegal net was removed by members of the Maritime Service.
The rescued animal is a leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coriacea), considered the largest marine turtle in the world, which can reach up to 2.3 metres in length and weigh more than 600 kilos. This species is classed as «vulnerable» worldwide, so its protection is essential for the conservation of marine wildlife.
