Kendrapara: As the government imposed a seven-month-long fishing ban at Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary from November 1 onwards, the fishermen folk here are spending sleepless nights worrying over a substitute livelihood.
It may be mentioned here that this fishing-ban is nothing new and has been in practice for years now to provide security to the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles for their annual sojourn to Gahirmatha.
More than 20,000 fishermen in coastal Kendrapara are going to be affected by the ban as they have already been asked by the boat owners not to come to work for the coming seven months.
“The conservation of the endangered turtle species is no doubt important but shall it be borne at the cost of thousands of fishermen who pose no threat to them,” said Narayan Haldar, president of ‘Odisha Maschayjibi’ forum.
In a bid to protect sea turtles, the government in 1997 declared Gahirmatha as a marine sanctuary. Each winter, the Olive Ridley sea turtles start their long journey to Gahirmatha to lay eggs. The turtles repeat the trek every year, always to return to the same beach in order to lay their eggs where they were born. Gahirmatha marine sanctuary is also known as the world’s largest rookery of the sea turtles. It is a prime feeding area for sea turtles that nests all the way up to the Nasi-1 and Nasi-2 islands of the marine sanctuary.
“Thousands of fishermen are all set to leave their homes and go work in other states as they have no other means of livelihood for the next seven months,” added Haldar.
The local marine fisher folk have urged the government to include fishermen cooperative societies in Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP). They also asked for a hike in financial assistance under ICZMP for providing loans to the SHGs, and also to set up small-scale industries in the district.
But what has been a long-standing demand of the fishermen is to properly demarcate the line of Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary. Trawlers and boatmen have been directed not to fish within 20 kilometres from the coastline in the sanctuary areas, covering a length of 1,435 square kms from Aagaranasi to Dhamara. Fishermen have asked the government to be lenient about this and reduce the 20-km range to 10.
According to Manas Ranjan Sahu, assistant director of fishery (Marine) (ADF), Kujanga, the state government has been providing a financial assistance of Rs 7,500 to around 2,000 marine fisher folk, including the registered boat owners and its crew members under livelihood support during fishing ban. But several fishermen have been left out of this. The department has also brought to the notice of the state government to add the left out fishermen.
