Berhampur: Patrolling was started along the coast in Odisha’s Ganjam district to check illegal fishing after a seven-month ban was imposed to protect olive ridley turtles, ahead of their mating season, officials said Thursday.
The fishing ban was imposed November 1, and will continue till May 31, 2024, they said.
“We have started sea patrolling to check fishing activities in the prohibited areas,” said Sunny Khokkar, the divisional forest officer (DFO) of Berhampur.
The sea was being patrolled with four vessels, including two speed boats, he said.
The olive ridley turtles usually visit the sea during November, and start mating in December and January, before the mass nesting, which begins in the last week of February and continues till the second week of March.
The confluence of the Rushikulya river and the Bay of Bengal in Ganjam district is the second biggest rookery for olive ridley turtles after Gahiramatha in Kendrapara district.
A record 6.37 lakh turtles had laid eggs on a 3-km-long stretch between Podampeta and Bateshwar in February-March this year.
The Forest Department has decided to set up at least 11 camps for its personnel who will secure the beach, and clean it to facilitate the nesting, officials said.
“We are sensitising the fishermen about the ban on fishing with the help of local volunteers,” said Sidhartha Sahu, the range officer of Khallikote.
Additional Fisheries Officer (Marine) Subrat Patnaik said the government would provide Rs 15,000 to the families of every fisherman affected by the ban.
A total of 3,638 families of nine villages depend on fishing for their livelihood, he said.
Odisha Traditional Fish Workers’ Union general secretary K Alleya said women associated with fishing, such as selling and transportation, should also be compensated as they too were affected by the ban.
PTI