The crew of a sea-worthy fishing trawl allegedly attacked a turtle patrol vessel in the prohibited seawaters of Odisha’s Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, a forest official said on Sunday.
The crew of a fishing trawl illegally operating in the prohibited waters near the Babubali coast attacked a forest patrol vessel and tried to capsize it. In self-defence, the patrol personnel fired warning shots into the air after the trawlers ignored repeated warnings through a microphone. The fishing vessel was later intercepted, and 10 crew members were arrested, said an official from the Rajnagar Mangrove (wildlife) Forest Division.
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The fishing vessel had trespassed into prohibited sanctuary corridors, violating the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act, and the mandatory rules of the marine sanctuary. The crew members have been booked under the relevant sections of the law and will be forwarded to court on Monday after interrogation.
A blanket ban on sea fishing remains enforced year-round at the Gahirmatha coast, which is acclaimed as the largest habitation corridor for these endangered marine species. Besides, the area has been conferred the status of marine sanctuary due to the congregation of turtles, forest officials said.
The Olive Ridley turtles turn up in millions for mass nesting along the Odisha coast every year. Gahirmatha Beach, located off the Bay of Bengal coast in Kendrapara district, is incidentally acclaimed as the world’s largest-known nesting ground for these animals. Apart from Gahirmatha, these threatened aquatic creatures also nest at the Rushikulya river mouth and Devi river mouth during the mass nesting event, known as arribada.
