After ‘fishy’ seizure in Gahirmatha, forester gets suspension axe
KENDRAPARA: A forester of Bhitarkanika National Park allegedly seized 12 quintal fish from trawlers operating illegally in Gahirmatha marine sanctuary but showed only two quintal as seizure while he sold the rest in the market. He was placed under suspension on Thursday after complaints from trawler owners prompted the forest division to launch an inqury into the matter.
Divisional Forest Officer of Bhitarkanika National Park Bikash Ranjan Dash confirmed that forester Prafulla Kumar Majhi was suspended for botching up the seizure. On November 29, Majhi arrested nine persons on charges of illegally fishing within the prohibited waters of the marine sanctuary under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. He seized 12 quintal of fish from three fishing trawlers but documented the seizure of only about two quintal of the catch.
The suspended forester allegedly sold the rest in the market after saving some for his personal consumption. Preliminary inquiry revealed the forester’s involvement in the case as he was found to have hidden information about the seizure for which he was placed under suspension, Dash said.
The incident has added to the allegations that Forest officials are minting money by suppressing facts in seizure lists presented before in the court. “The marine sanctuary is not properly demarcated by forest officials by deploying floating buoys. Due to non-demarcation of the ‘no fishing zone’ in Gahirmatha, Forest and Coast Guard officials arrest many fishermen who enter the sanctuary areas inadvertently,” alleged Prasan Kumar Behera, president of Odisha Traditional Fish Workers’ Union.
The government declared Gahirmatha a marine sanctuary in 1997 to protect Olive Ridley turtles which travel thousands of kilometers in the sea for mass nesting. All types of fishing from November 1 to May 31 are banned to provide for safe mating and nesting at Gahirmatha which is the largest rookery of the sea turtles.