The president of the Balearic government, José Ramón Bauzá , visited the island of Cabrera last week to help with the release of three rescued loggerhead turtles. The environment minister and the mayor of Palma accompanied him at what has become an annual event at the National Park off the coast of Mallorca.
Each year this endangered species passes through the Balearic waters on its migratory journey from the eastern Atlantic and other areas within the Mediterranean. The turtles are often wounded after being caught up in fishing nets or trapped amongst floating waste. Two of the three turtles released yesterday required operations before being nursed back to health and returned to their natural habitat.
The turtle conservation programme is organised by the Marineland foundation of the Balearics and funded by the regional government. The annual release of the turtles after a period of convalescence is designed to publicise their work and highlight the need to protect marine species and their habitats.
