11 fishermen held for sneaking into prohibited marine sanctuary

The Forest department has nabbed 11 fishermen on the charge of carrying out unlawful fishing activity in Gahirmatha marine sanctuary in Odisha’s Kendrapara district, an official said on Friday.

A fishing trawler used by the fishermen was also seized by the forest patrol team. They were arrested on Thursday and were sent to judicial custody on Friday, the official said.

The fishing vessel had trespassed into prohibited sanctuary corridors contravening the provisions of the wildlife protection act, Orissa Marine fishing regulation act and mandatory rules of marine sanctuary, he said.

The fishing prohibition remains enforced round the year in Gahirmatha as it is accorded the status of marine sanctuary. The olive ridley turtles, accorded as schedule-1 animal under wildlife protection act for its highly threatened status, get entangled in the fishing nets 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.

The state government has imposed a 7-month fishing ban close to the coast including Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in Odisha from November 1 till May 31 in view of the mass nesting of the Olive Ridley Turtles.