Endangered sea turtle rescued after street auction

By Minh Cuong   May 16, 2016 | 02:03 am PT
Quang Ninh Environmental Police yesterday rescued a 40 kilogram green sea turtle after a local man was closing a deal on National Highway 1A for $670.

The man wanted $900 for the turtle but the highest offer he got was $670.

“I caught the turtle on a shrimp farm. I intended to sell it to someone who would keep it as a pet, not to eat it. I was offered $620, but that price was too low,” he said.

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The turtle was tied up in a wet cloth so it couldn't move.

A man in a car paid $670 but was stopped by police on his way to Ha Long. The animal was confiscated as the man could not show any documents about where the animal had come from.

The turtle was sent to an animal rescue force and it will be released back into the wild.

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The turtle weighed about 40 kilograms.

According to the WWF, there are now only seven existing species of marine turtles in the world. All of them are listed on the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES).

In Vietnam, there are five marine turtle species, all of which are listed in Vietnam's Red Book. They include green, hawksbill, loggerhead, leatherback and olive ridley sea turtles.

Marine turtles are protected under Vietnamese law. Hunting and trading of any of the five native species is a criminal offence.

 
 
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