Prohibit Fishing Around Turtle Nesting Sites: Orissa HC To State Govt

Cuttack: A division bench of Orissa High Court on Tuesday asked the state government to enforce prohibition of fishing activities by trawlers near Devi river mouth in view of the high mortality of Olive Ridley marine turtles on Odisha coast due to fishing trawlers.

The bench, headed by Chief Justice S Murlidhar, also ordered the state government to provide the three marine police stations at Talachua, Tantiapal and Jamboo with sea-patrolling boats and additional force for protection of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary. The sanctuary has the largest rookery of the Olive Ridley sea turtles.

“The mortality of the turtles along the Odisha coast is mainly due to trawling operations. There is incidental killing of the turtles due to suffocation in fishing nets of trawlers or by injuries inflicted by the propellers of the trawlers. Enforcement activities should be continued to prevent the movement and fishing by trawlers in the prohibited area of Devi River mouth and Gahirmatha,” the HC said.

The court last month registered a PIL suo motu over media reports that 800 Olive Ridleys died in Gahirmatha marine sanctuary since January this year.