Nine loggerhead turtles were yesterday morning released into the sea at Gnejna Bay after they were rehabilitated at the San Lucjan Centre at Marsaxlokk, until they fully recovered from injuries.

The turtles were released in the presence of children from nine schools who took part in the Ekoskola Programme, and Young Reporters from the Environment Programme, both coordinated in Malta by Nature Trust as national representative of the International Organisation for Environment Education.

It was an unusual scene at Gnejna Bay, with the schoolchildren, the majority of whom were of primary school age, experiencing an educational outing with a difference. “Save the turtles,” they shouted while assembling on the beach in anticipation of the turtles’ release. Their shouts changed to “wow!” and other exclamations of surprise as Resources and Rural Affairs Minister George Pullicino raised turtles from their containers while discussing their welfare with Nature Trust volunteers and representatives from the San Lucjan Centre.

While waiting for the minister to arrive, some enterprising children even managed to climb the sides of the truck, which had transported the turtles, to have a close look at the creatures.

The turtles had been rescued over the past months by members of the Nature Trust (Malta) Rescue team and a number of other NGOs, such as the Biological Conservation Research Department (BICREF), and International Animal Rescue, as well as the Malta Environment and Planning Authority, which have helped in the rescue of the marine reptiles.

Minister Pullicino said that the volunteers present helped by means of “concrete action” and dedicated their time to feed, medicate, clean and care for the turtles. He also thanked fishermen who often took injured turtles to San Lucjan Centre after they found them with hooks embedded in them and nylon lines which they swallow because of the bait. Some were found with propeller injuries from boats and ships while others swallowed plastic bags after mistaking them for jellyfish. This often killed them, the minister said.

“A total of 73 turtles were taken to the San Lucjan Centre in the past years. 60 had been released while the others were brought in dead or died within days after arriving at the centre,” said the director general for fisheries conservation and control, Anthony Gruppetta. An autopsy was then carried out on the dead turtles to determine the cause of death and other information relevant to marine life welfare.

He said that in the past, two turtles had been released with radio transmitters in order to have them tracked. One of the turtles, named Zeus, stayed in the Mediterranean and often swims from Sicily and back. The other, named Vicky, was one of the biggest turtles ever released, weighing 48 kilograms. Vicky had one flipper missing and although biologists were afraid of releasing her, she has swum to Sicily and all the way to Algeria, Dr Gruppetta said.

Nature Trust president Vince Attard said that the organisation was to start discussions with MEPA to set up a wild rehabilitation centre at Xrobb l-Ghagin where hedgehogs, reptiles and other animals could be rehabilitated.

He also urged the public to report any injured turtles sighted out at sea for action to be taken to save the creatures, which have been in existence for 200 million years.

The students present were from the Maria Regina College Lily of the Valley Mosta who won the Young Reporters for the Environment International Award as well as Ekoskola Green Flag Winners from St Benedict College Zurrieq Primary C, St Joseph Paola, St Joseph Blata l-Bajda, St Claire’s College San Gwann Primary B, St Ignatius College Siggiewi Primary C and Xaghra Primary C Gozo.