34 fishermen held in Odisha’s Gahirmatha turtle habitat

Kendrapara (Odisha), Dec 7 (PTI) Odisha forest officials have arrested 34 fishermen and seized two fishing trawlers from the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary in Kendrapara district, officials said on Sunday.

The fishermen were apprehended over the past 48 hours for allegedly fishing within the turtle congregation zone, a forest officer said.

The trawlers used by the intruders in the prohibited sanctuary area were seized by forest patrol teams, Manas Das, assistant conservator of forests (ACF), Bhitarkanika, told PTI.

The arrested fishermen hail from Balasore and Mayurbhanj districts. They were later remanded to judicial custody, he informed.

Das said the vessels had trespassed into prohibited sanctuary corridors contravening the provisions of Wildlife Protection Act, Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act and mandatory rules of marine sanctuary.

So far, around 200 fishermen have been arrested fishing in Olive Ridley sea turtles' congregation zone, forest officials said.

The state government has imposed a seven-month ban on fishing by trawlers along the 20-km Dhamara-Devi river mouth stretch from November 1 in view of the mass nesting of endangered Olive Ridley turtles.

Fishing restrictions are enforced throughout the year in Gahirmatha, which has been accorded the status of a marine sanctuary. PTI COR BBM BBM MNB