Seven held for illegal fishing at Gahirmatha sanctuary

KENDRAPARA: Seven fishermen were arrested on Friday for fishing illegally at the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary despite the fishing ban imposed  in the area. A trawler containing 12 quintal fish, fishing nets and two GPS devices was seized from their possession. 

“The accused were booked under Wildlife Protection Act 1972 and remanded in judicial custody after their bail pleas were rejected,” said range officer Manas Das.To facilitate mating of Olive Ridley turtles, the Forest department had asked fishermen not to venture into the sea within 20 km of the coastline covering 1,435 sq km of the sea from Hukitola to Dhamara. Last year, forest officials demarcated the marine sanctuary by putting 14 buoys.

“Gahirmatha is the largest rookery of the sea turtles in the world for which government has put a ban on fishing from November 1 to May 31 to save the endangered marine species. Around 16 turtle protection camps including three offshore camps at Agaranashi, Barunei and Babubali islands have been established to protect these endangered reptiles,” said Das adding, marine policemen of Kharinashi and Paradip are helping the department to prevent illegal fishing activities.

Due to the fishing ban imposed by the authorities, around 57 turtles laid eggs from March 25 to 28 this year at the Nasi-1 and Nasi-2 islands on the sanctuary premises, added the forest officer.