Illegal Fishing near Gahirmatha Sanctuary; 32 Fishermen Arrested

Bhubaneswar: Thirty-two fishermen were arrested by forest officials for illegal fishing in the prohibited region of the sea near Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary on Thursday.

To protect Olive ridley turtles during their mating, nesting, and hatching period, fishing is banned from November to May at Gahirmatha, Devi river mouth, and Rushikulya river mouth coasts every year. Fishing is prohibited in the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary area throughout the year.

According to sources, on Thursday a patrol of forest officials seized two fishing vessels that had trespassed into the prohibited zone of the Gahirmatha sanctuary. The 32 fishermen involved in fishing in the area were arrested. Over 10 quintals of fish, fishing nets, and GPS devices were seized from them.

The arrested fishermen were from Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Balasore, and Jagatsinghpur districts. They were arrested under provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1982.