The Talachua Marine police led by its IIC Sreekant Kumar Barik on Friday arrested as many as 11 crew members of Dhamara-based fishing trawler New Janani-1 following a mid-sea faceoff with the fishers. While the forest personnel were conducting a raid, they caught sight of the vessel catching fish illegally at the “No fishing zone” after trespassing into the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, said Pattamundai SDPO Ranjan Dey.
The arrestees were identified as Ratan Dey of Paikasahi, Babula Maity of Jayadurgapatana under Dhamara PS, Gobinda Mandal of Jhadakata, Arjun Hazra, Ashok Matia of Sailendrapali, Gautam Barik, Pranakrushna Barik of Amanagar, Ramakrushna Bera of Jyosnamayee of Bansda police station, Srikrushna Bera of Jayadebkaspa, Md Sarab Alli Saha and Nityananda Das of Vekta village under Talachua Marine PS. They were produced before the JMFC Court of Rajnagar, from where they were remanded into jail custody. Four forest personnel sustained injuries.
The surveillance boat was damaged. Notably, to provide a congenial atmosphere to the endangered marine species and restrict the trawlers from unauthorised fishing, fishing has been banned in the area.