By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — Nearly 300 endangered sea turtle hatchlings have safely reached the sea following separate conservation activities in Catanduanes and Sarangani, as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources intensified efforts to protect the country’s vulnerable marine wildlife.
The DENR reported that 299 hatchlings were released through coordinated conservation initiatives carried out by its field offices, local government units, volunteers, and community partners.
In Catanduanes, the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office released 210 green sea turtle (Chelonia mydas) hatchlings on June 16 in observance of World Sea Turtle Day. The first batch of 108 hatchlings was released at Tampad Beach in Barangay Talisoy, followed by another 102 at Bosdak Beach in Barangay Magnesia del Sur, both in Virac.
In a separate activity on July 1, the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office released 89 Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) hatchlings along the coast of Barangay Taluya in Glan, within the protected waters of the Sarangani Bay Protected Seascape.
Environmental officials said the successful release was made possible after local Bantay Dagat volunteers discovered the newly emerged hatchlings and immediately alerted conservation personnel, allowing the young turtles to be guided safely into the ocean.
The activity was attended by barangay officials, residents, environmental workers, and student interns, highlighting community participation in protecting marine biodiversity.
According to DENR conservation experts, sea turtles rely on a natural process known as imprinting, enabling hatchlings to recognize the beach where they were born and return decades later to lay their own eggs. However, survival remains extremely difficult, with only about one in every hundred hatchlings reaching adulthood because of predators, habitat destruction, pollution, fishing activities, and climate-related threats.
Following the releases in Catanduanes, environmental personnel also conducted public awareness campaigns to encourage coastal communities to help protect nesting grounds and report wildlife incidents. Known nesting sites are now under continuous monitoring to ensure higher survival rates for future hatchlings.
The DENR noted that the green sea turtle is listed as endangered, while the Olive Ridley sea turtle is classified as threatened under existing environmental regulations. Both species are protected by the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act (Republic Act No. 9147), which prohibits the illegal collection, possession, transport, or trade of protected wildlife without government authorization.
The agency urged the public to immediately report stranded, injured, illegally kept, or endangered wildlife to the nearest DENR office or local authorities to ensure prompt rescue and rehabilitation efforts.
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