COAST GUARD RECOVERED SEA TURTLE EGGS AND RELEASED TURTLE HATCHLINGS INTO THE SEA

The collective effort of Coast Guard personnel attached to Life-Saving Posts Mirissa, Unawatuna, Hikkaduwa, Moragolla, Panadura, Mount Lavinia, Dehiwala, Wellewatta recovered 4286 numbers of Sea turtle eggs from places close to their natural habitat during the period from 13^th to 19^th February 2023. Recovered eggs being conserved at the locations near respective lifesaving posts. Meanwhile, SLCG released a total no of 167 sea turtle hatchlings into the sea from Mirissa, Hikkaduwa and wellewatta during the same period.

Under the Coast Guard Turtle Conservation Project (CGTCP), Coast Guard played a positive role in helping to protect and preserve sea turtle populations. Sea turtles are a vulnerable species and their eggs and hatchlings can be at risk from a variety of threats, including human activity, predation, and environmental factors. By recovering the sea turtle eggs and releasing the hatchlings into the sea, the Coast Guard likely helped to give these turtles a better chance at survival.

Further, SLCG intelligence staff attached to SLCG Rohana rendered assistance to the Department of Wildlife conservation Mirissa for arresting two personnel along with turtle eggs on 17^th and 18^th February 2023 who attempted to sell a total of 121 turtle eggs. Simultaneously, CG personnel attached to Chilaw FMP could apprehend 04 fishermen with 13 Kg of turtle flesh on board fishing trawler on 16^th February 2023 and arrested personnel handed over to police station Chilaw for legal actions.

So far in 2023, the Sri Lankan Coast Guard conserved 22641 turtle eggs and released 1944 hatchlings into the sea.