Free the hatchlings
• Resort in Samal called out for raising turtles without permit
AN ENVIRONMENTAL group called out a resort in the Island Garden City of Samal for reportedly holding captive the turtle hatchlings found on its shoreline.
Isla Reta Beach Resort posted the video on its Facebook page on Jan. 15, stating the turtles were found emerging from their nest two weeks ago.
The mother of the turtles laid the eggs on Oct. 31 last year, and the resort announced that it intends to raise them and release them after six months.
However, Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS) said this violates Republic Act 9147, or the Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act, “since the resort does not have a permit, capacity, and experts to safeguard the health and well-being of the juvenile turtles.”
IDIS said in its Facebook post on Jan. 16 that the species cannot be identified in the uploaded video. However, all five sea turtle species found in the country are declared critically endangered under the Wildlife Act and Convention on International Trade of Endangered Species.
The species in the country include Hawksbill, Leatherback, Olive Ridley, Loggerhead, and Green Sea
Turtle.
IDIS urged the resort to consult the Department of Environment and Natural Resources XI Biodiversity Management Bureau for the turnover of the hatchlings. The group also urged the government to address the matter immediately.
“The urgency of this matter cannot be overstated, and swift action is paramount to ensuring the survival and thriving of our sea turtle populations,” the IDIS post reads.
TIMES tried to reach the resort’s management but could not reach them as of this writing. The uploaded video has now gained 73,000 views, 911 reactions, and 193 shares.