KENDRAPARA: The Forest department on Monday arrested 22 marine fishermen and seized three fishing trawlers at Gahirmatha marine sanctuary.
Forest Range Officer of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary Debashis Bhoi said the fishermen were arrested for fishing illegally in sea water. “The fishermen have been directed not to fish within 20 km of coastline in the marine sanctuary area which is spread over 1,360 sq km in the sea from Hukitola to Dhamara,” he said.
Forest officials have already deployed guards to prevent fishermen from entering the marine sanctuary area. In 1997, the Government had declared Gahirmatha a marine sanctuary to protect sea turtles, which arrive on the coast during winter to lay eggs.
Gahirmatha beach is the largest rookery of sea turtles in the world. The Government has banned all types of fishing for seven months from November 1 to May 31 to save the endangered marine species.
Bhoi said the Forest department has set up 16 turtle protection camps, including three offshore camps at Agaranashi, Barunei and Babubali islands to protect turtles in Gahirmatha marine sanctuary. Personnel of marine police stations at Kharinashi and Paradip and the Indian Coast Guard are helping the forest officials to prevent illegal fishing this year. Due to the fishing ban imposed by the authorities, around 4.70 lakh turtles laid eggs from February 26 to March 5 at Nasi-1 and Nasi-2 islands within the sanctuary.