Kendrapara: Forest personnel of Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary (GMS) Thursday intercepted a Balaramgadi-based fishing trawler, ‘Hare Krishna’, for trespassing into GMS area and catching fish at the mouth of Madali river. Nine fishermen were arrested, Srirampada Arabinda Mishra, ACF-cum-ranger in charge of GMS said.
The GMS is the largest rookery of the endangered Olive Ridley marine turtles and the mating season of the turtles is on.
The forest personnel also seized 10 sets of fishing nets, six quintals of fish, VHF sets, fish finders and a GPS set from the fishermen belonging to Balasore district.
The arrested fishermen were later produced in the JMFC court of Rajnagar for trial under the Wildlife Protection Act, and were remanded to custody.
With this, GMS personnel have seized 41 fishing vessels and gill netters and have arrested 269 fishermen for unauthorised fishing in the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary since July.
It seems forest personnel have failed to create awareness among fishermen not to fish with trawlers in the no fishing zone of GMS.
In the last three days, forest personnel have intercepted five fishing boats and have arrested 48 fishermen for illegally fishing in the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary.
PNN
