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HONOLULU — A social media post from an “anonymous participant” on a Hawaii-based Facebook page shows a dead green sea turtle with its shell missing. So far the post, which can’t be verified for its veracity, has generated more than 3,000 reactions and 660 comments, according to a press release Thursday from the state Department of Land and Natural Resources.

The person who posted the image says he/she walks Hau Bush beach in ‘Ewa Beach daily. “I have never seen anything like this until tonight,” the post said.

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The problem for federal and state law enforcement agencies is the incident was not reported to them directly, which makes it difficult for officers to build a case and pursue prosecution, the DLNR said.

“We have the DLNR TipApp which allows people who see suspected violations to report them when they see them,” Chief Jason Redulla of the DLNR Division of Conservation and Resources Enforcement said in the release. “Witness information and photographs can help us investigate a case and potentially bring charges.”

The DLNRTipApp did receive an after-the-fact notification which just copied the original social media post.

DLNR, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the NOAA also have reporting hotlines for violations against marine mammals such as green sea turtles, which are protected and listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act.

“We know it’s frustrating when people only report violations via social media and nothing happens,” said Brian Neilson, administrator of the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources. “Unfortunately, in most cases there’s not enough information to conduct thorough investigations.”

DAR also encourages witnesses of criminal violations to report them when they see them.

People who report violations by phone or on the app can also do so anonymously. Using either method, reporting parties are prompted to provide the who, what, when and where needed by law enforcement for successful prosecutions.

The person who witnessed the dead, shell-less turtle is encouraged to follow-up by contacting either DLNR, FWS or NOAA law enforcement to provide more information.

“Most of these egregious violations that we become aware of through social media channels, rarely have the necessary information, so we can’t even know where to begin looking,” Redulla said. “Without the perpetrator coming forward and self-reporting, or without a specific location, date and time, our hands are unfortunately tied.”

DLNR, FWS and NOAA encourage everyone who spends time in and around the ocean to download the free reporting application and to input reporting hotlines into their phone directories so reports to authorities can be received quickly.

“We really need everyone’s kokua to find people who are committing crimes against our protected marine species,” Neilson said.

To report suspected violations:

— Download the DLNRTip App on your smart phone;

— DLNR 24-Hour Hotline, 808-643-DLNR (3567);

— FWS Hotline, 1-844-FWS-TIPS (397-8477) or www.fws.gov/wildlife-crime-tips;

— NOAA Marine Wildlife Hotline, 888-256-9840;