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29 marine fishermen from West Bengal arrested from prohibited Gahirmatha
Kendrapara, India – 29 marine fishermen from West Bengal were taken into custody today from prohibited Gahirmatha marine sanctuary limits off the Bay of Bengal coast.
The operation to stop unlawful trawling to ensure the safety of Olive Ridley turtles was jointly conducted by Coast Guard, forest, and police and fisheries department. The Rajnagar Mangrove Forest Division sources said the turtle surveillance patrols spotted the vessels near Nasi Island off Gahirmatha coast. The arrested fishermen and crew were Bengali-speaking natives from West Bengal, said official sources.
Since the ban on trawl operations within the marine sanctuary limits, 60 sea worthy vessels have been seized while about 180 marine fishermen and trawler crews have been taken into custody.
It should be noted here that the state government has clamped trawl fishing ban along the 20 km stretch Gahirmatha marine sanctuary from 1 November in view of the ensuing mass nesting of endangered Olive Ridley marine turtles.
The imposition of prohibition was in accordance with Sections 2,3,4 of Orissa Maine Fishing Regulation Act (Omfra).
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