Bhubaneswar: Forest authorities in Odisha on Thursday arrested 10 marine fishermen from Andhra Pradesh (AP) for illegally fishing inside the prohibited turtle congregation zone of Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in Kendrapara district, officials said.
The arrested fishermen, all hailing from Vizianagaram district, were apprehended after two fishing vessels trespassed into restricted sanctuary corridors, violating provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, the Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act, and mandatory rules governing the marine sanctuary.
Forest officials seized the fishing gear and equipment used by the accused. The fishermen were later remanded to judicial custody, an official confirmed.
With this latest action, the total number of marine fishermen arrested for intruding into the sanctuary has risen to 367, underscoring the forest department’s intensified enforcement drive aimed at protecting the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles, officials said.
Since the enforcement of the annual sea-fishing ban on November 1, authorities have also seized around a dozen sea-worthy fishing vessels found operating illegally in restricted waters.
The Odisha government has imposed a seven-month ban on log trawl fishing along a 20-km coastal stretch between the Dhamara and Devi river mouths starting November 1, in anticipation of the mass nesting of Olive Ridley turtles. However, fishing remains prohibited year-round within the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, which enjoys protected status under wildlife laws.
Olive Ridley turtles, listed as a Schedule I species under the Wildlife Protection Act, face severe threats from mechanised fishing. Forest personnel noted that the turtles often get entangled in fishing nets, leading to death by asphyxiation, or are fatally injured by fast-moving trawler propellers.
