Skip to main content
18.05.2021

20 Caretta Turtles Rescued with the Help of Rio Mare

On World Turtle Day, our brand Rio Mare announces that in the last year, 20 specimens of Caretta Caretta turtles have been rescued thanks to the partnership with the Egadi Islands Marine Protected Area.

The Caretta Caretta turtles were injured by the impact of boats or the ingestion of floating plastic waste and fishing lines. The turtles were healed at the 'Sea Turtle Recovery Center' in Favignana and, after recovering, eight have already been released. 
They have been equipped with a satellite tag under the scientific supervision of the University of Pisa’s Department of Biology. This system allows the paths of the turtles that were treated at the Turtle Centre to be followed to continue monitoring their routes and the kilometres traveled. It will also deepen the knowledge of both the species and their habits.

“This partnership is a concrete example of our commitment to the sustainability of fishing and the protection of the resources and the animal species that populate our seas,” commented Luciano Pirovano, Global Sustainable Development Director of the Bolton Group Food Business Unit.
 

Rio Mare
20 Caretta turtles rescued with the help of Rio Mare

The collaboration between Rio Mare and the Egadi Islands MPA is one of the first projects of this kind, both in terms of duration and investment made by private individuals in Italy. In five years, the project has managed to recover and save over 80 turtles of the Caretta Caretta species. We started to support the First Aid Center in 2014 through the purchase of technical materials, such as satellite tags, tanks for turtle recovery, and materials for the teaching rooms. We’ve also contributed to the creation of a proper Recovery Center for Caretta Caretta sea turtles in Favignana: this important recognition allows the specialised team at the center to not only provide first assistance to the species in need, but to also keep them monitored throughout their hospitalisation, until they are healed and released.

Protecting the Posidonia oceanica prairie in the Mediterranean

Our partnership with the Egadi Islands MPA is aimed at safeguarding biodiversity and natural resources, We do this through various projects, such as activity to protect the largest Posidonia oceanica prairie in the Mediterranean, able to regulate the absorption of CO2 in the sea and in the atmosphere. Posidonia plays a fundamental role in the well-being of the Mediterranean Sea and the entire marine ecosystem, so much so that it is considered to be an ‘Amazonian forest’ underwater. It is precisely for this reason that Rio Mare has decided to make a concrete commitment to safeguarding this species and to plant, in an initial phase, about 2000 new Posidonia beds during the current year. To protect this plant, Rio Mare has funded the MASTER Project (Anti-trawling Measures for the Protection and Repopulation), through the installation of 40 bollards positioned on the seabed of the Marine Protected Area of the Egadi Islands. These bollards have contributed to an 85% decrease of trawling in the prohibited area, which is one of the main threats to Posidonia meadows. In addition to this, Rio Mare has also contributed to covering the management costs of the Monk Seal Observatory, located on the island of Marettimo, to monitor the presence of specimens of the species and also to carry out research.
In order to make tomorrow’s consumers more aware of environmental sustainability, the project has been expanded with activities for classes of all school levels. These include an educational module on the ecology and threats of the species, in addition to a visit to the centers. The activities have been repeated over the years, extending the invitation in particular to schools nearby the Egadi Islands MPA and achieving the participation of about 20 classes per year.
 

20 Caretta turtles rescued with the help of Rio Mare

You might also like this

Other stories

Behind the Scenes

Together We Rise: Juliana’s Unstoppable Journey at Bolton

Rio Mare_Polska

2024: A Year of Milestones for Rio Mare in Poland

Sustainability report

Bolton Unveils New Sustainability Report: A Commitment to a Greener Future