As part of an action aimed at increasing sea turtle rehabilitation capacity and in cooperation with the Croatian Agency for the Environment and Nature, Blue World Institute identified a number of veterinary stations and other relevant institutions in Croatia that are suitable recipients for the dissemination of rescue kits developed within the project. All recipients are part of the Croatian national network that helps injured and stranded animals, hence equipping them with additional items will ensure better care for the injured animals.

We gave out five large kits including a carrier-container appropriate for public transport, first aid items such as bandages, gloves and pliers for removing foreign material, measurement tape, tags and tagging pliers with a sea turtle management manual as well as promotional material including T-shirts and stickers. In addition, we assembled 25 smaller kits containing tagging equipment and promotional material.

A special set of metal flipper tags was produced for this purpose, with a numbering system containing a reference to Croatia (prefix ‘HR’) and a stamp with contact info allowing future observations of tagged turtles to be communicated back to Blue World Institute. Each tag is imprinted with a unique identifier that will enable us to track sea turtles for as long as the tags remain attached to their fins and to gain useful information on sea turtle movements, growth rates and overall health status.

Rescue kits will contribute to a timely and effective response to reports of injured or sick animals and their successful rehabilitation.