Rescue, care and liberation. This time the protagonist is Nicolettathe Caretta caretta turtle which, after being recovered in the waters off the coast of Alghero, was released into the Gulf of Tramariglio. Action coordinated by the regional network for the conservation of marine fauna in collaboration with the Amp Capo Caccia Isola Piana and the Asinara Park.
It’s always plastic one of nature’s worst killers. Increasingly invaded coasts and seabeds are permanently damaged by this presence which, as unfortunately happens, also becomes a deadly factor for marine fauna. Fortunately, the sudden and joint intervention of the actors on the field, this time, like several others, averted the worst. Last March 20th in the waters of Capo Cacciathe yachtsman Dario Bernardi recovered a young specimen of Caretta caretta after spotting it in a state of floating with evident difficulty in diving due to a state of intestinal constipation due to the ingestion of plastic material. Following the report of the discovery to the Port Authority of Alghero, the representative of the Amp Capo Caccia – Isola Piana (node of the regional network for the protection of marine fauna in difficulty) Alberto Ruiu together with the managers of the Crama center of the Asinara Park Laura Pireddu, Valeria Sanna and Michela Zappataallowed the recovery and hospitalization of the specimens in the center of La Reale.
A rescue process led by the regional network for the conservation of marine fauna, coordinated by the manager Elisa Mocci, who supervises all rescue and release activities at a regional level. Regional network that operated, as always in these cases, with supervisory bodies such as the Coast Guard and the Forestry Corps to defend sea turtles and cetaceans with, at the forefront, the protected areas, in this case that of Capo Caccia – Isola Piana and the Asinara National Park.
After the rescue and the treatment period, the turtle, which was given the name of Nicoletta, in a good state of nutrition, of 7.5 kilos in weight, and after about a month of treatment at the Crtm of the Sea Observatory, in Cala Reale, on the island of Asinara, she was restored to the condition of returning to sea. To accompany the journey to freedom of the turtle, in addition to the staff of the relevant bodies, were the hands of Margherita and Nicola, two young students from the third year of the Monte Rosello Alto middle school in Sassari and the fifth year of Quartu Sant’Elena; an important opportunity for environmental education and awareness on marine fauna conservation issues.
To the rebirth of Nicoletta, the presidents and directors of the two protected areas Raimondo Tilloca and Mariano Mariani for the Capo Caccia – Isola Piana MPA and Giovanni Cubeddu and Vittorio Gazale for the Asinara Park and the lieutenant of the Coast Guard Agatino Carciola also participated. The occasion was also useful for developing the next collaborations linked to the coordinated management of the large marine SAC area that unites the two protected areas, the launch of the new Talassa community project and the common certification paths with the park network brand .
