Bhubaneswar: To ensure the safety of Olive Ridley turtles during their breeding and mating season, the Odisha government on Wednesday clamped a seven-month prohibition on sea fishing activity within 20 km of the coast at the river mouths of Dhamara, Devi, and Rusikulya.
The order will continue till May 31, 2024.
Millions of Olive Ridley turtles visit the sites every year from November to January for mating and to lay eggs. “During the period, fishing with mechanised and motorised boats will be prohibited within 10 km radius from both sides of Rushikuya river mouth and 20 km from the coast,” said additional fishery officer (marine), Ganjam, Subrat Patnaik.
The government also provides Rs 15,000 per family as one-time assistant on account of the fishing ban, he added.
The prohibition of this nature is clamped as the turtles perish in larger numbers either by getting entangled in fishing nets or hit by fishing trawler’ propellers.
The ban involves a multi-layered patrolling exercise, involving the forest, fisheries, and marine police, besides the coast guard personnel, to keep a check on unlawful activities. Deputy Director (Marine)-cum-Adjudicating Officer of the Directorate of Fisheries has been appointed as the nodal officer for monitoring the patrolling during the ban on fishing for conservation of sea turtles. The Fisheries department has also planned periodical awareness camps among the stakeholders, involving the Forest and Marine Police Officials and if possible, Coast Guard toeducate the fishermen regarding the ban.
Notably, a blanket ban on sea-fishing remains enforced round- the-year in Gahirmatha coast, the largest habitation corridors of these endangered marine species. Besides, it has been conferred the status of marine sanctuary in view of turtles congregation.
During the nesting season, female turtles invade the beaches usually at the dead of the night for laying eggs, the phenomenon otherwise described as ‘arribada’. After laying eggs, the turtles leave the nesting ground to stride into the deep sea. Hatchlings emerge from these eggs after 45-60 days.
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