The Odisha government on Monday clamped a seven-month-long prohibition on sea fishing activity within 20 km of the coast at the river mouths of Dhamara, Devi and Rusikulya, marking the beginning of the mass nesting season of the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles.

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. The fishing prohibition has been extended to other areas like Dhamara, Devi and Rushikulya river mouths as turtles are set to begin mating ahead of the mass nesting, said Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar Mangrove (forest) Division, J.D. Pati.

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The sole objective of annual measures, that would remain effective from 1 November- 31 May, is to ensure the safety of marine animals during their breeding and mating season, said officials adding that the ban has been clamped in accordance with Sections 2, 7 and 4 of Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act (OMFRA), 1982 and provisions of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

The fishing ban will be imposed from today along a specified coast of the sea comprising sea turtle congregation area and their buffer zones at the river mouths of Dhamara, Devi and Rusikulya.

The prohibition of this nature is being clamped every year as the turtles perish in larger numbers either by getting entangled in fishing nets or hit by fishing trawler’ propellers.

It will be a multi-layered patrolling exercise involving the forest, fisheries, marine police besides the coast guard personnel. To ensure effective patrolling, 61 on-shore camps and five off-shore camps are have been set up in state’s four wildlife divisions- Bhadrak, Rajnagar, Puri and Berhampur.

The armed police constabulary force will flank the forest and fisheries patrolling teams. Five high-speed boats, 13 trawlers and support boats are pressed into service to intercept illegal marine fishing in prohibited zones.

Thirty-eight trawlers were seized and 202 people were arrested in the last nesting season while around 3.5 lakh turtles laid eggs in the Gahirmatha coast earlier this year during the arribada.

Around 10,666 fishermen families will be affected following the fishing ban. Therefore to compensate for the loss of income avenues, the state government has decided to extend one-time livelihood assistance of Rs 7,500 to the affected fishermen families.

The female turtles virtually invade the nesting beaches usually at the dead of the night for laying eggs, the phenomenon otherwise described as ‘arribada’. After indulgence in instinctive egg-laying, the turtles leave the nesting ground to stride into the deep sea water.

Hatchlings emerge from these eggs after 45-60 days. It is a rare natural phenomenon where the babies grow without their mother.