Forest officials arrested 17 marine fishermen on Wednesday and seized their fishing trawler on Sunday from the seawater of the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in Odisha’s Kendrapara district on the charges of illegally fishing within the turtle congregation zone, an official said.

The trawler engaged by the intruders for fishing along the prohibited sanctuary area was seized by the forest patrol teams. The arrested intruders are the traditional marine fishermen from the Balasore district. They were later remanded in judicial custody, Assistant Conservator of Forest Manas Das said.

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The fishing vessel had trespassed into prohibited sanctuary corridors in contravention of the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act, and mandatory rules of marine sanctuary, the forest officer added.

With the latest interception, around 130 fishermen have so far been arrested for acts of intrusion into the marine sanctuary as the forest department is intent on ensuring the safety of Olive Ridley sea turtles, said forest officials. Nineteen sea-worthy vessels were also seized in the process since the enforcement of the sea-fishing ban on November 1.

It should be noted here that the state government has imposed a seven-month-long trawl fishing ban along the 20-km stretch from Dhamara to Devi river mouth from 1 November in view of the ensuing mass nesting of endangered Olive Ridley marine turtles. Fishing remains prohibited around the year in Gahirmatha as it has been accorded the status of marine sanctuary. The mute species, classified as a Schedule-1 animal under the Wildlife Protection Act due to its highly threatened status, often get entangled in fishing nets for prolonged periods and die of asphyxiation. Many turtles also perish after being struck by the fast-moving propellers of fishing trawlers, forest personnel said.

More than 3 lakh Olive Ridley turtles turned up for their annual sojourn for mass nesting during the May 2024 season. The female turtles emerged from the sea to crawl onto the serene beach and dig pits to lay millions of eggs, concluded the officer.