Rajnagar: Unlawful fishing activity has taken a heavy toll on the endangered Olive Ridley turtles as forest officials recovered the carcass of a turtle weighing 40kg from a trawler seized during a face-off with fishermen illegally fishing in the prohibited zone of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary during the fishing ban, Sunday. The seizure of the turtle is indicative of the serious threat posed to the marine species. The incident has sparked concern among nature lovers and wildlife enthusiasts. Two GPS sets, three VHF sets, 11 trawling nets and 20 quintal fish were also seized from the trawler. Gahirmatha is the world’s largest and most important nesting beach for the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles. The fishermen and the trawler owners are not only fishing in Gahirmatha despite ban but have unleashed a reign of terror in the seawaters. Lack of proper action has only emboldened them as they catch fish as well as turtles with impunity. Reports said forest officials seized a trawler named Chandi Tarini-3 during the encounter with the illegal fishermen in Gahirmatha Sunday. During verification, forest officials seized the dead turtle from the seized trawler.
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Later, the forest department filed an FIR at Talachua Marine police station on charges of trying to sink the patrol vessel of the department and kill the forest personnel on board. Police registered a case and arrested the trawler owner, Abinash Kumar Nayak, from Sasanpeta village under Mahakalapara block of Kendrapara district and produced him in the court. The driver of the trawler was arrested earlier. According to the complaint lodged by forester Suresh Chandra Prusty, he along with 13 other forest personnel was patrolling in the sea when they seized a trawler with fishermen illegally fishing in the sea. Losing no time, the trawler driver Madhabananda Mallick alerted the owner Abinash over a VHF set. Directed by Abinash, fishermen on board another Chandi Tarini trawler and four other trawlers attacked the patrol vessel and tried to sink it in the sea. They even threatened the forest personnel of dire consequences and snatched away eight fishermen on board the seized trawler. The forest personnel had a close shave as they fired in the air to disperse the miscreants. Meanwhile, alerted over Sunday’s incident, forest officials led by ACF Manas Kumar Das have intensified patrolling in the sea.
