17 fishermen held for flouting fishing ban in Odisha
Kendrapara: Forest officials said on Saturday that they arrested 17 fishermen and confiscated their trawler for illegally fishing in the turtle nesting area of the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary.
The trawler, used by the trawlers to fish in the prohibited sanctuary area, and fishing gear were confiscated by forest patrol teams. The forest official further stated that the fishing boat had entered the prohibited sanctuary corridors in violation of the Wildlife Protection Act, the Odisha Marine Fishing Regulation Act, and the Marine Sanctuary’s mandatory rules. Forest officials said that with the recent arrests, approximately 350 fishermen have been arrested for trespassing into the marine sanctuary so far, as the Forest Department focuses on ensuring the protection of Olive Ridley sea turtles. It is worth noting here that the state government has banned log fishing for seven months from November 1 in a 20 km stretch of the Dhamra-Devi river mouth due to mass egg-laying by the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles.
