The day after Easter with Giulio and Petunia

17th of April wonderful release of two sea turtles in Riccione thanks to Fondazione Cetacea

On Monday, 17 in the morning, they were released at sea, after months of care at the recovery center of Riccione, Giulio and Petunia. Petunia arrived on the 17th of January from the Marche coast, was found in hypothermia. Giulio, who was recovered in November last year, was the victim of an accidental catch on a trawl net off Cesenatico. The Cetacean Foundation has organized this beach event in Riccione to celebrate Easter Day with several hundred tourists.

For more info please visete the Facebook page of Fondazione Cetacea, and the website AltaRimini.it.

Attached the article published in a local newspaper and the press release of Fondazione Cetacea.

objective

reduction of sea turtle mortality in the professional fishing

project in brief

The conservation of Caretta caretta, a priority species included in App. II/IV of the Habitat Directive and protected in various international Conventions, has been representing a strategic issue for the whole Mediterranean basin, with professional fishing being the main threat for the survival of marine turtles: every year about 130000 turtles can be accidentally caught accidentally in the Mediterranean.

The project TartaLife, involving all 15 Italian regions overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, aims at reducing:
- bycatches caused by pelagic longline, bottom trawl and fixed nets by disseminating technical innovations of the fishing gears;
- post-capture mortality through trainings for fishermen and strengthening the marine turtles First Aid/Rescue Centres

TartaLife project

Life+ programme

The LIFE programme is the EU’s funding instrument for the environment. The general objective of LIFE is to contribute to the implementation, updating and development of EU environmental policy and legislation by co-financing pilot or demonstration projects with European added value.

LIFE began in 1992 and to date there have been four complete phases of the programme (LIFE I: 1992-1995, LIFE II: 1996-1999, LIFE III: 2000-2006 and LIFE+: 2007-2013). During this period, LIFE has co-financed some 3954 projects across the EU, contributing approximately €3.1 billion to the protection of the environment.

Life+ programme