GPS software in fishing vessels to protect turtles
KENDRAPARA: In a bid to protect the Olive Ridleys, the Fisheries Department has started uploading a Global Positioning System (GPS) software in all the mechanised fishing vessels to prevent them from entering the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, known to be world’s largest rookery of the endangered turtles.
In the first phase, geo-coordinate software has been uploaded in the GPS of 90 fishing trawlers in the district and nearby areas. All the 1,742 mechanised vessels of the State would be fitted with GPS and the software soon, said Additional Director of Fisheries (Marine), Kujang Manas Ranjan Sahoo.
Owners of the fishing vessels will purchase the GPS while software engineers of the department will upload the software. The software-uploaded GPS will alert fishermen not to enter the marine sanctuary as it is a restricted zone for fishing, Sahoo added.
On March 16 this year, the Orissa High Court ordered that the Fisheries and Animal Resources department should upload the boundary of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary along with its geo-coordinates in GPS of all fishing boats so that the movement of the vessels in the sea can be recorded.
The HC order came in wake of a report which stated that 800 Olive Ridley turtles had died since January this year due to negligence of the State’s Forest and Fisheries departments. Taking suo motu cognisance of the report, the court constituted a three-member committee in February. The members of the panel interacted with fishermen, locals besides forest and fisheries officials and submitted its report to the HC on March 15.
The HC had also directed the Forest department to demarcate the marine sanctuary. DFO of Bhitarkanika National Park Bikash Rajnan Dash said as per the court order, the Forest department recently completed the demarcation of the sanctuary areas covering 1,435 sq km in the sea from Hukitola to Dhamara by
Gahirmatha marine sanctuary I Express
putting 15 buoys. “Each buoy costs Rs 7.5 lakh. We received Rs 1.15 crore from the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) of the Forest department to purchase the buoys from a Bhubaneswar-based company,” he added.
Due to non-demarcation of the ‘No Fishing Zone’ in Gahirmatha, forest and coast guard officials arrest many fishermen who inadvertently enter the prohibited zone every year. The DFO hoped that fishermen will no longer enter the sanctuary area after its demarcation. Around 3,49,694 Olive Ridley turtles laid eggs from March 9 to 23 in Gahirmatha this year.
Trawlers in sea without geo-coordinates
Paradip: Despite the HC order, several trawlers have ventured into the sea without being fitted with geo-coordinate software-uploaded GPS after the fishing ban ended on Monday midnight. The trawler owners reportedly failed to upload the software in their GPS due to the ongoing Covid-19 lockdown. Vice-president of Odisha Marine Fish Producers’ Association Amarjit Jena said a majority of the trawlers have not yet upgraded the GPS due to the prevailing pandemic situation and ensuing lockdown.
Only 50-70 trawlers have ventured into the sea so far, he added. Manager of Paradip Fishing Harbour Manoranjan Mohapatra informed that of 559 trawlers, only 90 have been fitted with geo-coordinates. The authorities are spreading awareness on the necessity of using the geo-coordinate software for safety of Olive Ridley turtles, he said.