Workers of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Palanan Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (DENR-CENRO) released 20 juvenile sea turtle hatchlings in the coastal village of Digumased here on Monday.

DENR-CENRO Palanan chief Federico Cauilan, Jr. said the young turtles were released two months after hatching.

“These were from the sea turtle eggs that were gathered and retrieved and relocated at an undisclosed area where they were more likely to hatch,” he said in a news briefing.

“The release of the Green Sea Turtle (Chelonia mydas) aims to instill the importance of protecting endangered species and to boost the population and promote environmental protection,” Cauilan said.

Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office-Isabela information officer Racquel Caldez said turtles are among the most abundant marine animals but are still considered vulnerable because there are only a few places in which they nest.

“Sightings of sea turtles indicate a healthy marine ecosystem within the Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park,” she added. (PNA)