A giant leatherback turtle is trussed and tied to a trolley in Zhanjiang city of Guangdong Province on Tuesday, December 6, 2016. (Photo/Beijing Youth Daily)
The ocean and fisheries administration of south China's Guangdong province has started to investigate the slaughter of a protected giant sea turtle, after a video and photos of the incident were widely spread online, reports Beijing Youth Daily.
The video shows that the turtle, reported to weigh 208 kilograms, was trussed and tied to a trolley after it was caught by fishermen. It was then butchered with a lot of blood spreading on the ground.
Local media reported that the turtle flesh was sold by villagers at 140 yuan (around 20 U.S. dollars) per kilo and was sold out within two hours. It is estimated that the seller can earn at least 20,000 yuan from the sale.
Wang Yamin, a professor from the Marine College of Shandong University, said he can tell from the photos that it was a leatherback turtle, a second class national protected animal in China which is rarely seen. This leatherback turtle may have got to the area during a migratory tour, said Wang.
He said the turtle doesn't have special medical value, and it is illegal to eat it as it is a protected animal.