Odisha: Government starts sea patrolling along Ganjam coast to protect Ridleys

BERHAMPUR: The forest department launched sea patrolling along the Ganjam coast to crack down on illegal fishing after the government imposed a seven-month ban on fishing to protect the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles. The fishing ban that started from November 1, 2022, will continue till May 31, 2023.
Divisional forest officer (Berhampur) Amlan Nayak said four vessels, including three speed boats, will patrol the sea. “A mechanised trawler was detained in the sea on Tuesday. We freed it after verifying its documents and found that it was in no way related to fishing,” said Sidharth Das, range officer, Khallikote.The turtles come to the Odisha coast in November and start mating in December and January. Mass nesting starts in the last week of February and first or second week of March.
The Rushikulya mouth is considered the second biggest rookery of the Olive Ridley sea turtles after Gahiramatha in Kendrapara district. A record number of 5,50,317 turtles laid eggs on the beach during the eight-day mass nesting, which started from March 27 last year.
The DFO said they have decided to set up 11 camps with forest staff and three control rooms in the 5-km stretch of the coast from Gokharakuda to Podampeta and clean the beach to facilitate nesting. Fishermen will be sensitized on protection and conservation of the turtles.
Fisheries officer (marine), Ganjam, Subrat Patnaik, said the government will provide Rs 7,500 to each fishermen family affected by the ban. In Ganjam, 3,638 families of nine villages from Prayagi to Arjeepalli will benefit.