Soldiers from the border guard post in Phước Thuận Port release the hawksbill sea turtle. Photo laodong.vn

BÀ RỊA – VŨNG TÀU — A 3kg hawksbill sea turtle that was accidentally caught by a local man has been released back to the sea off the coast of southern Bà Rịa – Vũng Tàu Province.

Soldiers from the border guard post in Phước Thuận Port collaborated with the authorities of Xuyên Mộc District’ Phước Thuận Commune to organise the release on Monday.

Earlier on the same day, the wild animal was handed over by a local man who accidentally caught it near Hồ Tràm beach. Aware that this is a rare and precious animal, he reported it to the border guard forces and handed the turtle to them.

The turtle, scientific name Eretmochelys imbricata, is one of the five sea turtle species in danger of extinction in the world and Việt Nam. Many of them are living in the territorial waters of the province's Côn Đảo District.

In Việt Nam, any act of illegal hunting, killing, raising, confining, possessing, transporting, or trading of sea turtles or their parts and products is a serious violation of the law and may be subject to prosecution with a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. — VNS