TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A green sea turtle fitted with a satellite transmitter was rescued from an oyster pond in Changhua County’s Fuxing Township, with authorities later tracing the device to China.
Local fishermen discovered the turtle and contacted the Ocean Affairs Council’s Ocean Conservation Administration and the Coast Guard for assistance. The turtle drew attention from onlookers because of the satellite tracking transmitter attached to its shell and the simplified Chinese characters on the device, per CNA.
The OCA said a preliminary investigation confirmed the transmitter was developed and manufactured by the Chinese Academy of Sciences Institute of Deep-Sea Science and Engineering.
Further investigation found the turtle had been artificially bred at the Huidong Port Sea Turtle Reserve in Guangdong Province, China. It was fitted with the transmitter and released into the wild on May 21.
According to the OCA, the transmitter only records location data used to monitor the turtle’s migration routes, habitat range, and movement patterns.
The Coast Guard’s Central Branch said it received a public report Sunday morning that a sea turtle was trapped in an oyster shed near the beach in Fubao Village. A resident later transported the turtle by oyster truck to the Fubao Village chief’s farmhouse, per CNA.
Coastal patrol officers arrived at the scene along with marine conservation experts. Officials said an in-depth assessment will be conducted to determine whether the turtle can be released back into the wild. For now, it will be rehabilitated at a facility operated by the Taiwan Cetacean Society.
