The Olive Ridley sea turtle conservation work at the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary has suffered a setback in the last two weeks after Forest Department personnel halted sea patrolling from Dhamra to Devi river mouth fearing attack by trawlers.
Notably, after the killing of a Baleswar fisherman during a shootout between the patrolling personnel and trawler fishers on January 12 last, the Forest department officials have been apprehensive about possible retaliation by the trawler fishers.
Consequently, with patrolling having been stopped, security of the sea turtles has taken a beating with the result that more and more of the endangered species are dying every day and the turtle carcasses have started littering at the golden beaches of Gahirmatha.
According to Rajnagar Mangrove (forest ) and Wildlife Division DFO Kedar Kumar swain, due to lack of patrolling at the marine sanctuary, the turtles are dying in large number as illegal and uninterrupted trawler fishing is now going on without any bar.
Turtle researchers said turtles are dying en masse in several strategic locations and the accidental death of the mute animals is due to uninterrupted trawling. The turtles generally die after they get entangled in fishing nets or get dashed in trawler’s propeller at the deep sea.
Official sources said as many as 150 turtle carcasses have been spotted at the coast since the forest personnel have stopped patrolling. “What can the patrolling personnel doIJ They run the risk of being attacked by the fishermen who have become vindictive after the death of a fellow fisher during an encounter with the patrolling team. It has become common when trawlers, by unlawfully assembling, attack the forest patrolling boat in the deep sea if they are restricted in the no fishing zone,” said a Forest official.
When contacted, Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary Ranger Suvendu Behera stated, “We are waiting for the green signal of our higher ups to resume patrolling. As long as adequate armed forced along with controlling officers will not be deployed, the forest personnel will fear the organized fishers.”
District Collector Niranjan Nayak stated as the executive magistrate posts are lying vacant, so it is difficult to provide a magistrate in turtle conservation programme. However, he said the matter would be sorted out soon.
SP Rabi Narayan Behera assured that a marine police officer along with police force would help the Forest personnel in the turtle conservation programme.