On the morning of May 9 Vietnamese Border Guard officers boarded a boat off the coast of central Vietnam, near Ly Son Island. Upon searching the vessel the officers found a 60Kg Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) hidden in a box. The turtle was in poor health due to its cramped confinement.
Photo courtesy of the Quang Ngai Fishery Department.
While there were numerous passengers onboard, nobody claimed ownership of the turtle, and the boat owner claimed to have no knowledge of the animal.
The Vietnamese Fishery Department intended to release the turtle in the afternoon, but it died before they could do so. To prevent the illegal trade of its shell, the Fishery Department incinerated the turtle later the same day.
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