32 Arrested For Fishing In Gahirmatha Prohibited Sea Zone In Odisha

Kendrapada: Odisha’s forest personnel arrested 32 fishermen for trespassing into the prohibited Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, out-of-bounds for fishermen.

Fishing along the entire Odisha coast is banned from November to May every year in view of the Olive Ridley turtle nesting. Fishing is prohibited in the marine sanctuary area all through the year.

According to reports on Thursday, two fishing vessels with over 10 quintals of fish, fishing nets and GPS devices were seized by the patrolling unit during a special operation.

The arrested fishermen are residents of villages in Kendrapada, Bhadrak, Balasore and Jagatsinghpur districts of the state.

They were arrested under provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1982.

Prohibition on sea fishing remains enforced in the marine sanctuary area throughout the year, and along the Odisha coast from November to May every year in view of the annual mass nesting of the endangered Olive Ridley turtles at Gahirmatha.