Bhubaneswar: Odisha forest officials arrested 34 fishermen and seized two trawlers from the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in Kendrapara district on Sunday. The fishermen were caught fishing in the Olive Ridley turtle congregation zone, a prohibited area under the sanctuary’s regulations.
According to Assistant Conservator of Forests (ACF) Bhitarkanika, Manas Das, the forest patrol teams apprehended the intruders over the past 48 hours.
“The trawlers were operating inside the restricted sanctuary corridors, violating the Wildlife Protection Act, the Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act, and other rules of the marine sanctuary,” he said.
The arrested fishermen, hailing from Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts, have been remanded to judicial custody.
Forest officials said that, so far this year, around 200 fishermen have been arrested for fishing in the Olive Ridley sea turtles’ congregation zone.
The Odisha government has imposed a seven-month ban on trawler fishing along the 20-km Dhamara-Devi river mouth stretch from November 1, coinciding with the mass nesting season of the endangered turtles.
Fishing restrictions are enforced year-round in Gahirmatha, which is a designated marine sanctuary.
Das added that forest patrols continue to monitor the area closely to protect the turtles during this critical period.
