: A seven-month fishing ban on trawlers at Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary was imposed from November 1 to May 31, 2024 by the Marine Fishery Department in order to provide security to the endangered Olive Ridley turtles during their annual sojourn to the sanctuary for laying eggs.
The ban was imposed in accordance with provisions of Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act (OMFRA), 1982; Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and Orissa Marine Fishing Rules, 1983 and it is effective 20 km off the sea coast in the Bay of Bengal, said official sources.
“We are going to create awareness among the fisher communities in the coming days to get their support in the turtle drive,” informed Rajnagar Mangrove (Forest) and Wildlife Division DFO Sudarshan Gopinath Jadav.
“The Forest officials have started setting up two off-shore camps at Babubali and Agarnasi and 14 on-shore camps under Gahirmatha Sanctuary from Dhamara to Devi mouth for surveillance over illegal entry of trawlers to the sanctuary,” informed the DFO.