On the morning of 17/4, Nguyen Anh Tuoi and his family were setting fishing nets near the coast of Lien Huong commune, Tuy Phong district. While hauling in their nets, they discovered a sea turtle trapped among their catch.

Rare sea turtle caught in Co Thach fisherman's net this morning. *Photo: Viet Quoc*

The turtle, weighing nearly 8 kg, appeared healthy and reacted strongly when touched. After bringing it onto their boat, the fishermen carefully removed it from the net, scraped off marine organisms clinging to its shell and plastron, and cleaned it before returning it to the sea.

"Knowing this is a rare species, we released it immediately after freeing it from the net. The turtle swam away very quickly," Tuoi stated.

According to Luu Yen Phi, a sea turtle expert at Hon Cau Nature Reserve, the turtle belongs to the green sea turtle family (Chelonia mydas), which is classified as an endangered, rare species requiring priority conservation.

Local fishermen report that sea turtles frequently enter Tuy Phong waters during this time every year for breeding, occasionally becoming entangled in nets during near-shore fishing. When they encounter such turtles, they consistently release them back into the wild.

Tu Huynh