16 marine fishers nabbed from Odisha’s Gahirmatha turtle habitat

The forest department on Sunday arrested 16 marine fishermen and seized a sea-worthy fishing trawl from the waters of the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary in Kendrapara district on charges of illegally fishing within the turtle congregation zone, an official said.

A forest patrol team seized the fishing trawl used by the intruders for fishing in the prohibited sanctuary area. Those arrested are marine fishermen from Bhadrak, Balasore, Jajpur, and Mayurbhanj districts. They were later remanded in judicial custody, Assistant Conservator of Forest Manas Das said.

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The fishing vessel had trespassed into prohibited sanctuary corridors, contravening the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act, and the mandatory rules of the marine sanctuary, the forest officer added.

With the latest interceptions, around 300 fishermen have so far been arrested for acts of intrusion into the marine sanctuary as the forest department is intent on ensuring the safety of Olive Ridley sea turtles, forest officials said.

It should be noted that the state government has imposed a seven-month-long trawl fishing ban along the 20-km stretch from Dhamara to Devi river mouth since 1 November in view of the mass nesting of endangered Olive Ridley marine turtles. Fishing remains prohibited year-round in Gahirmatha, which has been accorded the status of a marine sanctuary. The turtles, a Schedule 1 species under the Wildlife Protection Act due to their highly threatened status, often get entangled in nets for prolonged periods and die of asphyxiation. They also perish in large numbers after being struck by the fast-moving propeller of fishing trawlers, forest personnel said.