Sea turtle dies of longline hook ingestion in southern Kyparissia Bay
More than twelve turtles have been found dead on the beaches of Trifylia in southern Kyparissia Bay this year. Most of them have no external injuries, which is an indication that the cause of death is drowning from entanglement in fishing nets or swallowing of plastics, or internal injuries and drowning from swallowing of a longline hook.
Celine Campana, who is a specialized vet and has volunteered for ARCHELON over many years, conducted a necropsy on this turtle to determine her cause of death. This was quickly revealed with the discovery of the large hook and the extensive damage it had caused to the turtleʼs oesophagus. After the stranding was recorded and the necropsy was complete, the Municipality of Trifylia proceeded with the hygienic burial of the unfortunate turtle.
Specially developed fishing tools that reduce their impact on sea turtles and other sea animals have been developed for both trawling and longline fishing. The spread of their use and the consistent monitoring of the application of fishing regulations in the areas where it is allowed are important long-term actions that require the coordination of the State as well as a close cooperation between countries across the Mediterranean.
ARCHELON operates a conservation project to monitor sea turtle reproduction activity and protect their nests in southern Kyparissia Bay since 1984, while dead and injured sea turtle strandings are recorded in collaboration with the Hellenic Coast Guard. Both data sets are also used by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) to monitor the status of the Mediterranean populations of loggerhead sea turtles. (N.V.)
Rescue of young, injured turtle in Chania: Cooperative effort of ARCHELON and the ISKA group
A stone with a 23-year history…
RECENT NEWS
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- OUR NEWS15/09/2023
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- OUR NEWS17/08/2023
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- OUR NEWS07/08/2023
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- OUR NEWS01/08/2023
Interview with a volunteer: Lea Heinen, Rescue Centre
Interview with a volunteer: Lea Heinen, Rescue Centre Lea shares her experience volunteering at the ARCHELON Sea Turtle Rescue Centre: “I think when a turtle starts to eat after a month of trying, when you can see the improvement or healing of a turtle's injury and when a turtle is released back into the sea, into its natural habitat, into its home - then you know that you are indeed saving turtles”.
- OUR NEWS21/07/2023
Kids Beach Competition 2023: Make your own little sea turtle with natural materials and send us a photo!
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- OUR NEWS18/07/2023
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- OUR NEWS04/07/2023
An offer to EXPERIENCED volunteers: You can now join the beach projects for 2-3 weeks!
The time is just right to join the projects again, even if you have only 2 or 3 weeks of available time. This offer is valid for August, September, October 2023. Apply through our new website and find out more about the dates and places you can join. More…
- OUR NEWS22/06/2023
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- OUR NEWS16/06/2023
A breath away from registering a new world record on the years of known active reproduction of a loggerhead sea turtle is ARCHELON, the Sea Turtle Protection Society of Greece
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- OUR NEWS15/06/2023
A Saturday unlike any other - Turtle Festival 2023
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- OUR NEWS07/06/2023
Announcement for all past volunteers of ARCHELON: Shall we meet this September?
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- OUR NEWS07/04/2023
Waiting list for schools that want to visit the ARCHELON Rescue Centre
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- OUR NEWS28/03/2023
People are supporting wildlife conservation
The donations and "adoptions" made at the Rescue Centre in Glyfada, Attica and at ARCHELON’s field projects in Zakynthos, the Peloponnese and Crete in 2022, reached the amount of €350,000. We did a lot last year thanks to all these people, who also made it possible for us to continue this year.
- OUR NEWS24/03/2023
Gail Schofield
We learned with deep sadness the passing away of Gail Schofield, a pronounced sea turtle researcher and former ARCHELON volunteer. Read more…