The fishing trawl, used by the intruders for fishing along the prohibited sanctuary area, was seized by the forest patrol teams. The intruders who were arrested are the marine fishermen of the Bhadrak and Balasore districts.
Photo: SNS
Forest officials on Thursday arrested 16 marine fishermen and seized their sea-worthy fishing trawl from the sea water of the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary of Odisha’s Kendrapara district on the charge of illegally fishing within the turtle congregation zone, an official said.
The fishing trawl, used by the intruders for fishing along the prohibited sanctuary area, was seized by the forest patrol teams. The intruders who were arrested are the marine fishermen of the Bhadrak and Balasore districts. They were later remanded to judicial custody, said Assistant Conservator of Forest, Manas Das.
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The fishing vessel had trespassed into prohibited sanctuary corridors contravening the provisions of wildlife protection act, Orissa Marine fishing regulation act and mandatory rules of marine sanctuary, added the forest officer.
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It should be noted here that the state government has clamped a seven month log trawl fishing ban along the 20 km stretch Dhamara- Devi river mouth from 1 November in view of the ensuing mass nesting of endangered Olive Ridley marine turtles. The fishing prohibition remains enforced round the year in Gahirmatha as it is accorded the status of marine sanctuary. The mute species, accorded as schedule-1 animal under wildlife protection act for its highly threatened status, get entangled in the nets for prolonged periods and die of asphyxiation. The turtles also perish in large numbers after getting hit by the fast moving propeller of the fishing trawlers, forest personnel said.
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