Kendrapara (Odisha), Dec 14 (PTI) Forest personnelhave arrested 19 fishermen from Olive Ridley turtleconcentration zones at Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in Odisha'sKendrapara district.
With this, the number of people arrested for sneakinginto the prohibited sea territory has risen to more than 200since last month, a forest official said.
Four fishing trawlers were also seized by the turtleprotection squad during the raid yesterday, he said.
The vessels had trespassed into the prohibitedcorridors of the sanctuary, contravening the provisions ofWildlife Protection Act, Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Actand the mandatory rules of marine sanctuary.
Sea patrolling has been stepped up in the sanctuaryto keep the turtle concentration zones free from humaninterference.
The state government has clamped a ban on trawlfishing along the 20-km stretch between Dhamra river mouth andDevi river mouth in view of the annual nesting season ofendangered Olive Ridley turtles. PTI COR SKNRMS.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.