Baleshwar: Forest department personnel rescued 297 live and 113 dead seagulls and arrested a poacher during a raid on illegal bird hunting activities in the sea near Subarnadandi under Bhograi block in Baleshwar district, officials said Thursday.
The accused was identified as 22-year-old Kali Charan Mandal of Choumukh village under Baliapal police limits. Three other poachers managed to escape, officials said. Divisional Forest Officer (Wildlife) Indulkar Pratik Prakash said officials also seized a motorised boat and the fishing net allegedly used to ensnare the birds during the raid at a presser held at his office Thursday.
According to the Forest Department, poachers had been erecting poles and stretching large nets in the sea near Subarnadandi for an extended period to capture migratory seabirds for consumption and illegal trade. The birds were reportedly driven nearly 6 km through the water at night from the Chaumukh area near the Subarnarekha river before becoming entangled in the nets, resulting in large-scale injuries and deaths.
Acting on a tip-off from local fishermen, a special team led by Jaleswar acting Range Officer Sanjay Kumar Mohanty conducted a night operation Wednesday.
Using a government boat from the Bichitrapur eco-tourism facility, the team travelled about 8 km by water and rescued a total of 410 seagulls from the trapping site. Veterinary officials from Bhograi conducted post-mortem examinations on the dead birds, while the rescued live birds underwent health checks before being released into their natural habitat.
The DFO said a case (17/26) has been registered under Section 51 of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and further investigation is underway. The arrested accused has been produced before a local court. Chandipur Ranger Manwar Khan, Assistant Conservator of Forests Tatini Sethy and Range Officer in-Charge Sanjay Kumar Mohanty were present at the press meet.