Three endangered sea turtles were released back into their natural habitat yesterday at Ġnejna Bay after several months of rehabilitation in Marsaxlokk.

Two of the loggerhead turtles, named Violetta and Ramon by their rescuers, had spent 10 months at the Turtle Rehabilitation Unit in Fort San Luċjan, the former malnourished and suffering from a skin infection and the latter having got entangled in fishing lines.

The third turtle, Stella, spent six months at the rehabilitation centre after being injured by a fishing hook.

“If an injured turtle is found at sea, Mepa or Nature Trust should be contacted immediately,” Nature Trust executive president Vince Attard said.

“In the case of long fishing trips where a turtle is found caught on a hook, fishermen are advised to cut the line close to its mouth, in order to avoid the nylon entering its digestive system.”

At San Luċjan, the turtles are assessed, medicated, fed and cared for until they are back to full health and can be re-released into the sea.

Over the weekend, the unit received another two injured loggerhead turtles that had been rescued off Dwejra and Ġnejna with fishing lines and hooks attached to them.

Environment Minister Mario de Marco, who was present for the turtles’ release, underlined the importance of protecting the turtles.

A number of measures have been taken so far, including the prohibition of fishing for turtles and informing fishermen on how to handle injured turtles. Five areas have also been designated as marine protected areas due to the high concentration of Posidonia, which forms part of the diet of some turtle species.

Mepa has managed to secure €1 million through the EU’s LIFE+ fund to embark on a project aimed at improving the protection of the loggerhead turtle and bottlenose dolphin in Maltese waters.