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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.

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 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 US 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.

Beijing lawyer Chang Sha said killing leatherback turtles could be a criminal offense. She quoted the criminal law of China which stipulates that whoever illegally catches or kills precious and endangered species of wildlife under special State protection or illegally purchases, transports or sells such species of wildlife as well as the products thereof shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than five years or criminal detention and shall also be fined.

Chang said the fishermen might not have caught the protected animal on purpose, but they should realize the turtle is precious when they saw that it is giant. If they set it free on time, it will not be a criminal offense, said Chang. However, they slaughtered it and sold the flesh, which could be criminal offenses, she said.

Chang said that even if the turtle had died when the fishermen found it, they may still be subject to criminal or administrative punishment for selling the turtle when the cause of its death is unclear.

She added that the seller may be fined for selling the turtle flesh.

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