Puri: At least 15 fishermen were held and their trawler was seized by Forest department personnel for fishing in prohibited area near Astarang in Odisha’s Puri district.
They were held for violating the seven-month ban imposed by the state government in three river mouths since November 1 for the protection of Olive Ridley turtles during mass nesting, sources said.
The 15 detained persons are being interrogated, while the seized trawler named ‘Mangala’ was handed over to the Marine Fisheries Department at Nuagaon Jetty.
A Forest department official said that surveillance has been intensified in the prohibited areas to prevent illegal fishing activities during the ban period.
Notably, the ban has been clamped on Olve Ridley nesting sites near three river mouths of Devi, Dhamra and Rushikulya in the state. The ban which came into force from Wednesday will continue till May 31.
All forms of fishing activities have been strictly prohibited within a 20-kilometer radius of the coast as well as buffer zones close to the river mouths.
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