Rescue, care and liberation. This time the protagonist is Nicoletta. Caretta Caretta turtle which, after being recovered in the waters off the coast of Alghero, was released in the Gulf of Tramariglio. Action coordinated by the regional network for the conservation of marine fauna in collaboration with the Capo Caccia Isola Piana MPA and the Asinara Park.
Plastic is always 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 Caccia, the yachtsman Dario Bernardi recovered a young specimen of Caretta caretta after spotting it in a state of floating with evident difficulties 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 Laura Park Pireddu, Valeria Sanna and Michela Zappata, allowed 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 Eng. Elisa Mocci, who supervises all rescue and release activities at a regional level. Regional network which 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 good nutrition, weighing 7.5 kilos, and after about a month of care at the CRTM of the Sea Observatory , in the town of Cala Reale on the island of Asinara, has been put back into condition to return to sea.
Accompanying the turtle’s journey to freedom, 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.
Also participating in the rebirth of Nicoletta were 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 .
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 .
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