Indonesia releases 25 sea turtles rescued in raid on poachers

A green sea turtle makes its way after being released on Kuta beach near Denpasar on the Indonesian resort island of Bali on Aug 5, 2020. - AFP

KUTA, Indonesia (Reuters): Indonesian authorities released 25 green turtles into the sea on the island of Bali on Wednesday (Aug 5), returning them to freedom after they were rescued last month during a raid on illegal traffickers.

The population of the endangered turtle, a protected species in Indonesia, has declined significantly in recent years due to hunting, loss of beach nesting sites, over-harvesting of their eggs and being caught in fishing gear.