We do not know what its journey was like until it arrived in early August on the coast of Almería in terrible condition. “It had serious respiratory problems, pneumonia, was dehydrated and wrapped in a net”, explained the territorial delegate for Sustainability and the Environment of the Junta de Andalucía in the province, José Antonio Víquez, on Thursday 16th, at the time of the release of Carbonara, the name given to the loggerhead or Caretta caretta turtle. What we do know is that professionals from CEGMA, the Marine Environment Management Centre run by the Junta de Andalucía and located in Algeciras (Cádiz), have been responsible for its recovery and rehabilitation.

Its release back into the marine environment took place on Torrenueva beach, along the Mijas coast. “I would like to thank the delegate for choosing Mijas to carry out all this environmental work”, said the mayoress Ana Mata (PP), who explained that “this is a very special case, as Mijas is one of the municipalities with some of the most important protected areas in terms of biodiversity and the biosphere, so we must protect it more and be much more aware of it”. Mata also highlighted “the joint work carried out with the Town Hall’s Department of the Environment regarding preservation and conservation, as well as information campaigns”.

“We have chosen Mijas for the turtle to resume its life at sea because it is a natural area with habitats of community interest where we believe the turtle can initially feel at home”, added Víquez, who recalled the importance of preserving species such as the loggerhead turtle. “The food chain helps to maintain the ecosystem and biodiversity and, in this case, these turtles feed on jellyfish; if they don’t, we could face problems with overpopulation and jellyfish on the beaches”, he explained.

Alongside the Environment delegate and the mayoress of Mijas, the release was attended by the councillors for Beaches, Daniel Gómez Teruel (PP), and Environment, Marco Cortés (PP), as well as representatives and technicians from the three institutions (the Provincial Delegation for Sustainability and the Environment, the Municipal Environment Department of Mijas, and CEGMA). 

 

The mayoress recalled that “it has been a difficult summer with issues such as the appearance of algae, which reduce the possibility of preserving our beaches”. She added that “the Spanish government also needs to work on protecting and caring for our coastline, especially here in Mijas where we have these two incredible Posidonia meadows”. Mata highlighted that “we have signed agreements with Aula del Mar, who collaborates with us, to emphasise the importance of preserving and conserving these marine areas”. Initiatives include information and awareness campaigns carried out in the summer and the creation of volunteer groups that join the collectives working with the Town Hall through the Environment Department. The mayoress also called on everyone to take responsibility for keeping the beaches in optimal condition. 

 

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