LAGOS, Nigeria -- Conservationists and students cheered as three rescued sea turtles, endangered in this part of the world, made their way back into the ocean at a private beach in Nigeria's economic hub of Lagos.

Weeks after the turtles were rescued from fishermen, they were released back into the ocean becoming the latest of dozens of sea turtles saved by the Greenfingers Wildlife Conservation Initiative in recent years. This batch was released last weekend.

"For fishermen, they are just food," Chinedu Mogbo, founder of the Greenfingers group told The Associated Press. "There is no knowledge out there of wildlife."

Sea turtles, known to play a critical role in the marine ecosystem, are endangered around Lagos, a coastal city of more than 20 million people. There are no figures for their remaining population in Lagos' waters, but wildlife conservationists like Mogbo speak of an alarming decline in the number of sea turtles coming to the shores to lay eggs.

Nigeria, home to an abundance of wildlife, has 23 "critically endangered species," according to the International Union for Conservation of Nature.

The West African nation is also a hub of illegal trafficking of wildlife, which experts say is driven by pressures from population growth and a lack of awareness about the animals.

"Nigeria's endangered wildlife faces an acutely critical and ongoing threat, teetering on the brink of irreversible biodiversity collapse," said Mark Ofua, West Africa representative for Wild Africa.

The battered sea turtles rescued by Mogbo and his team had been tended to at a sanctuary for threatened wildlife in Lagos before being released back into the ocean.

"We have released sea turtles then found them captured again after six months, and our attention was drawn to them by fishermen," Mogbo said. "That, to me, is a positive turn."

Incentives to the fishermen have helped, he said. The fishermen are rewarded with fishing gear if they alert conservationists when their nets catch a sea turtle or if they chance upon a turtle nest on shore.

As the three turtles disappeared into the water, a group of students watched in admiration.

"It is very special to me because I'm very passionate about wildlife rehabilitation and conservation," said Aviel Izedonmi, one of the students present. "Seeing something like this in Nigeria, where it is uncommon, just shows me how important these things are."

Conservation group rescues sea turtles caught in nets at Nigerian coastal city and rewards fishermen