In the latest mid-sea confrontation, the crew of sea-worthy fishing trawls allegedly attacked a turtle patrol vessel in prohibited seawaters of Odisha’s Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, a forest official said on Tuesday.

It was an organised attack by the crews of a fleet of about 12 fishing trawls, illegally fishing at the prohibited seawaters. It occurred during the afternoon hours yesterday. One of the patrol vessels deployed by the state forest department at Hukitola coast was targeted by the crews of the fishing trawl, said Manask Kumar Dash, Assistant Conservator of Forest, Bhitarkanika national park.

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The forest patrol vessel was engaged in turtle protection drive when a fleet of 12 trawls chased the patrol vessel. The crew of patrol vessel were outnumbered by those in intruding trawls. ”Through a handset microphone, we asked the crews of fishing trawls to give in. All of a sudden, they marched towards us in an attempt to collide with the patrol vessel. They intended to capsize the forest vessel. Despite being provoked, the patrolling crews did not open fire in self defence,” he said.

As the distressed crews informed through walkie-talkie sets, two other forest vessels rushed to the site. Later the intruders on the vessel retreated.

The fishing vessels had trespassed into prohibited sanctuary corridors contravening the provisions of Wildlife Protection Act, Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act and mandatory rules of marine sanctuary.

The trawl operators illegally fishing in Gahirmatha waters had made a couple of similar attacks on forest patrol vessels last month. Police complaints were lodged in this connection, the forest officer informed.

As part of Olive Ridley turtle conservation programme, the Odisha government has clamped a seven-month-long prohibition on sea fishing activity within 20 km of the coast at the river mouths of Mahanadi, Devi and Rusikulya from 1 November.

A blanket ban on sea-fishing remains enforced round-the-year in Gahirmatha coast, which is acclaimed as the largest habitation corridors of these endangered marine species. Besides, it has been conferred the status of marine sanctuary in view of turtles’ congregation, said forest officials.

The Olive turtles turn up in millions for mass nesting along the Odisha coast every year. Gahirmatha beach off Bay of Bengal coast in Kendrapara district is incidentally acclaimed as World’s largest-known nesting ground of these animals. Apart from Gahirmatha, these threatened aquatic animals turn up at Rushikulya river’s mouth and Devi river’s mouth for mass nesting, otherwise called ‘arribada’ ( synchronised nesting behavior).