Bhubaneswar: In a continued effort to protect the endangered olive ridley sea turtles, authorities in Kendrapara district have arrested seven fishermen from Andhra Pradesh for illegally operating within the protected waters of the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary.
The arrests were made on Tuesday after the fishermen, hailing from Vizianagaram district, were found fishing in the designated turtle congregation zone. Officials confirmed the seizure of their trawler and all fishing equipment. A local court has since remanded the seven individuals to judicial custody for violations under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
This latest interception is part of a broader enforcement campaign. With these seven arrests, the total number of fishermen apprehended for intruding into the sanctuary since November 1 has risen to approximately 110.
The crackdown coincides with a seven-month-long seasonal fishing ban imposed along a 20-kilometer coastal stretch, from the Dhamara-Devi river mouth. The prohibition is a critical conservation measure enacted ahead of the mass nesting season of the olive ridley turtles, one of nature’s most spectacular wildlife phenomena.
The ban is essential for the species’ survival. The turtles face fatal threats from fishing activities, often dying of asphyxiation after becoming entangled in fishing nets or suffering mortal injuries from collisions with trawler propellers. The Gahirmatha marine sanctuary is one of the world’s most significant mass nesting sites for these vulnerable creatures.
