KENDRAPARA: The seven-month fishing ban along the 20 km stretch off Gahirmatha marine sanctuary in Kendrapara district to protect the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles has brought environmentalists and local marine fishermen into conflict.Conservationists want a fishing ban to protect the turtles, but marine fisherfolks, who have fished for generations, have launched an agitation to protect their fishing rights.
Manas Behera (30) of the seaside Kansarbadadandua village in Kendrapara district was arrested by the forest guards with the help of coast guard on February 10 on charges of fishing in the marine sanctuary. Forest guards also seized the boat. He, along with six fishermen, were released on February 17 after spending a week in jail.
“I was released from jail but the forest officials are yet to hand over my boat to me. I had incurred loan of `2 lakh from a bank last year to purchase the boat. I have been running from pillar to post to get back my boat”, said a worried Manas. “The large capital required to build fishing trawlers is beyond my means as a trawler costs around Rs 20 lakh to Rs 35 lakh. I purchased a trawler by availing loan of Rs 20 lakh from a bank two years back. But last month, forest officials seized my trawler in Gahirmatha for which I am now in deep trouble. For us, fishing nets and trawlers have been our breadwinner”, said Bharat Mandal of Suniti village.
Like Manas and Bharat , the fate of a large number of marine fishermen of Kendrapara district and its nearby areas is now at stake after forest officials arrested them and seized their fishing vessels from the marine sanctuary. Future looks gloomy for around 20,000 marine fishermen of the district and its nearby areas after the authority imposed fishing ban from November 1 May 31 on the 20 km stretch off the coast on the sea within the marine sanctuary, said Narayan Haldar, a leader of the fishermen and the president of Odisha Matsyajibi Forum.
“The Government had stopped us from fishing for more than seven months. What else can I do? Fishing is all I know. There’s nothing else to do here,” said Durga Charna Mana, a fisherman of Baulakani village.
“The State Government has imposed seven-month fishing ban to protect the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles in Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, the world’s largest rookery of sea turtles. Trawlers and boatmen have been directed not to fish within 20 km from coastline in the marine sanctuary areas covering 35 km from Aagaranasi to Dhamara. We have already arrested 380 fishermen and seized 81 fishing vessels on charges of illegally fishing in the marine sanctuary. The Government, under Integrated Coastal Zone Management Programme (ICZM), has been providing alternative livelihoods to traditional marine fishermen of the district,” said Subrat Kumar Patra, forest range officer of the sanctuary.