Kendrapara: Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary personnel in Kendrapara district have arrested 14 fishermen and seized a fishing vessel on charges of entering the ‘No Fishing Zone’, an official informed Wednesday.
Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary ranger Pradosh Moharana informed that officials have also seized three VHF sets, two GPS sets, one fish-finder, four nets and 7.5 quintals of fish from the possession of the fishermen who were arrested Tuesday night.
According to the ranger, since the mass nesting of the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles is round the corner, the Forest department has restricted fishing inside the sanctuary area to provide a congenial atmosphere to the endangered species. Patrolling has also been intensified inside the sanctuary.
Moharana said the Forest department personnel noticed the trawler in the prohibited zone of the sanctuary near Chinchiri, just six kilometres from the coast. It was intercepted and the arrests were made.
Among those held is a sexagenarian fisherman from West Bengal. All the 14 have been booked under Section 27, 29, 31 of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. They were produced Wednesday before the JMFC court in Rajnagar which remanded them to jail custody, the ranger said.
PNN