Olive Ridley Sea Turtle Entangled in Fishing Net in Taitung's Shanyuan Bay, Coast Patrol Officers Immediately Rescue
Coast patrol officers in Taitung's Shanyuan Bay rescued an olive ridley sea turtle entangled in a fishing net. The turtle was found about 50 meters from the beach and was subsequently transferred to the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium for observation and care. The Taitung County Government urges proper management of fishing gear and warns against littering to protect marine life.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 29, 2026 at 15:48
- 🔍 Collected: April 29, 2026 at 16:01 (13 min after Published)
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 30, 2026 at 01:08 (9h 6m after Collected)
Central News Agency
(Central News Agency reporter Lu Tai-cheng, Taitung County 29th) Taitung County Government's Shanyuan Bay coast patrol officers discovered an olive ridley sea turtle entangled in a fishing net in the waters of Shanyuan Bay yesterday afternoon and immediately went into the sea to rescue it, then transferred it to the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium for care.
Taitung's Shanyuan Bay is open for recreation from April to October each year. The Taitung County Government commissions qualified and professional lifeguards to maintain and patrol water recreation safety and marine conservation. Yesterday afternoon around 2 PM, a coast patrol officer observed an unidentified floating object resembling a "human figure" about 50 meters from the beach. Fearing someone had fallen into the sea and was trapped, they immediately reported to the county government and simultaneously notified the Coast Guard for assistance.
Coast patrol officer Chang Wei-hung told the media today that when they first spotted the floating object, they thought someone had fallen into the sea and was trapped. After reporting, they jointly confirmed the situation in the sea area, and after ruling out possible risks, he paddled a rescue board into the sea. He reached the floating object in about 3 minutes. After salvaging, it was confirmed to be a sea turtle trapped in a fishing net. They immediately pulled the net entangled around the sea turtle back, moved it onto the rescue board, and brought it back to the beach where they cut the net to successfully free the sea turtle.
Coast patrol officer Cheng Yu-hao stated that while personnel were rescuing in the sea, they simultaneously notified the county government and Coast Guard units. After the Coast Guard and marine conservation officers from the Ocean Conservation Administration arrived, they immediately checked the sea turtle's size and health condition, determining it to be a relatively rare "olive ridley sea turtle," approximately 50 centimeters in size. They also found that the sea turtle's hind limbs appeared to have been cut by the fishing net, but its activity was normal, and it could still crawl on its own. They confirmed that its overall condition was stable, with no immediate life-threatening danger.
Cheng Yu-hao stated that following the marine conservation rescue process assessment, it was transferred to the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium for observation and care.
Taitung County Government appeals that fishing operations should properly manage fishing gear to avoid leaving or discarding it in the sea. Tourists are strictly prohibited from littering in recreational sea areas. If any floating objects or marine creatures suspected of being entangled in fishing nets are found in the sea, please immediately notify on-site lifeguards, coast patrol officers, or call the Coast Guard at 118 to jointly maintain marine ecological safety. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150429
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(Central News Agency reporter Lu Tai-cheng, Taitung County 29th) Taitung County Government's Shanyuan Bay coast patrol officers discovered an olive ridley sea turtle entangled in a fishing net in the waters of Shanyuan Bay yesterday afternoon and immediately went into the sea to rescue it, then transferred it to the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium for care.
Taitung's Shanyuan Bay is open for recreation from April to October each year. The Taitung County Government commissions qualified and professional lifeguards to maintain and patrol water recreation safety and marine conservation. Yesterday afternoon around 2 PM, a coast patrol officer observed an unidentified floating object resembling a "human figure" about 50 meters from the beach. Fearing someone had fallen into the sea and was trapped, they immediately reported to the county government and simultaneously notified the Coast Guard for assistance.
Coast patrol officer Chang Wei-hung told the media today that when they first spotted the floating object, they thought someone had fallen into the sea and was trapped. After reporting, they jointly confirmed the situation in the sea area, and after ruling out possible risks, he paddled a rescue board into the sea. He reached the floating object in about 3 minutes. After salvaging, it was confirmed to be a sea turtle trapped in a fishing net. They immediately pulled the net entangled around the sea turtle back, moved it onto the rescue board, and brought it back to the beach where they cut the net to successfully free the sea turtle.
Coast patrol officer Cheng Yu-hao stated that while personnel were rescuing in the sea, they simultaneously notified the county government and Coast Guard units. After the Coast Guard and marine conservation officers from the Ocean Conservation Administration arrived, they immediately checked the sea turtle's size and health condition, determining it to be a relatively rare "olive ridley sea turtle," approximately 50 centimeters in size. They also found that the sea turtle's hind limbs appeared to have been cut by the fishing net, but its activity was normal, and it could still crawl on its own. They confirmed that its overall condition was stable, with no immediate life-threatening danger.
Cheng Yu-hao stated that following the marine conservation rescue process assessment, it was transferred to the National Museum of Marine Biology and Aquarium for observation and care.
Taitung County Government appeals that fishing operations should properly manage fishing gear to avoid leaving or discarding it in the sea. Tourists are strictly prohibited from littering in recreational sea areas. If any floating objects or marine creatures suspected of being entangled in fishing nets are found in the sea, please immediately notify on-site lifeguards, coast patrol officers, or call the Coast Guard at 118 to jointly maintain marine ecological safety. (Editor: Chang Ya-ching) 1150429
Stand with the facts, every sponsorship is a force to protect press freedom.
Download the Central News Agency's "First-hand News" APP to stay updated with the latest news.
Text, images, and videos on this website may not be reproduced, publicly broadcast, publicly transmitted, or utilized without authorization.