KENDRAPARA: Mid-Sea attack by a group of fishermen left six forest guards of Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary injured and their patrol vessel vandalised on Tuesday evening. The injured guards said, crew of 10 fishing trawlers attacked them with wooden planks and sharp weapons when they warned them against fishing in the prohibitory waters of the marine sanctuary. They also damaged a portion of the Forest department’s patrol vessel and tried to sink it, the guards said.
The forest squad managed to return and were admitted to the Community Health Centre at Rajnagar. DFO of Bhitarkanika National Park Bikash Ranjan Dash and Forest range officer of the sanctuary Debashis Bhoi visited the guards at the hospital following which the latter lodged a complaint with marine police station at Talachua.
Patrol in the sanctuary has intensified as ‘arribada’ started on March 9 and till date around 1,30,000 turtles have laid eggs at Gahirmatha. The turtles which had congregated in the sea near Gahirmatha beach came ashore for nesting in groups of 5,000 to 10,000 each. “Our patrolling vessel was engaged in the turtle protection exercise when it was chased by a fleet of fishing trawlers.
The patrolling vessel rushed to the prohibited area to arrest the crew but they attacked the forest guards. More security forces and forest guards have been rushed to the sea to nab the crew members,” said Bhoi.
Gahiramatha beach is the largest rookery of Olive Ridley sea turtles and the authorities have banned fishing from November 1 to May 31 within 20 km of the coast in the sanctuary to save the endangered species.
Since enforcement of the ban, 340 marine fishermen have been taken into custody and 39 fishing vessels seized for unlawful fishing within the jurisdiction of sanctuary. Coast Guard officials of port town Paradip have also deployed a ship to protect the turtles and nab the fishermen, said the forest officer. One forest guard and four fishermen have lost their lives in such skirmishes in the sea since 2005. Z