Forest officials on Wednesday evening seized three Dhamra-based trawlers and arrested 18 fishermen for catching fish in the prohibited sea waters off the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, informed Ranger Subrat Kumar Patra.
According to Patra, the fishing trawlers were catching fish in the zone where the Forest Department has imposed a ban on all types of fishing from November 1 May 31, 2017 to protect endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles that come en mass for laying eggs to Chinchiri mouth.
The team also seized two quintals of fish, 18 fishing nets, GPS, VHF, fish finder machine and other fishing equipments from the mechanised trawlers.
The arrested fishermen belonged to Rangani and its adjoining villages of Rajnagar under Kendrapada district. The seized fishing vessels, Bimalini-II, Suraj and Shehensha, were from Dhamara area.
The fishermen were produced before the JMFC, Rajnagar under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. later, they remanded into jail custody as their bail pleas were rejected, informed Patra.
Some fishing vessels had been seized from the prohibited area nine days back, said sources.