Bhubaneswar: In a fresh crackdown on illegal fishing activities within the protected Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, forest officials arrested three fishermen and seized their fishing boat along with a substantial quantity of fish and other equipment.
The incident occurred during a routine patrol by the forest department’s marine enforcement team in the sanctuary waters, which is the world’s largest rookery for Olive Ridley sea turtles. The arrested individuals were reportedly engaged in prohibited fishing operations in a restricted zone, violating the ongoing fishing ban intended to protect turtle nesting and congregation areas.
According to preliminary reports from forest officials, the team intercepted the vessel, apprehended the three fishermen on the spot, and confiscated.
One mechanized fishing boat, significant catch of fish, fishing nets, GPS devices, VHF radios, and other related equipment were seized.
The marine sanctuary is a no-fishing zone to safeguard the endangered Olive Ridley turtles, which arrive in large numbers for mass nesting along the Odisha coast.
