Fishing inside the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, 20 km off the shore, will be banned from November 1, 2013 to May 31, 2014.
Keeping in mind the fast approaching nesting season of the Olive Ridley sea turtles and in order to curb the turtle mortality by preventing trawlers’ entry into the waters of Gahirmatha sanctuary, the Forest Department has taken this decision.
“The ban is going to be enforced under the Odisha Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1982 and Odisha Marine Fishing Rules, 1983,” said Rajnagar Mangrove Forest and Wildlife Division DFO Kedar Swain.
In their bid to protect the sea turtles during their mating and nesting season at the world’s largest rookery of these endangered marine species, the Forest personnel will also seek help from coast guards, Marine police and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) personnel of Wheeler island.
During their nesting season Olive Ridleys come in lakhs to the beaches of Gahirmatha sanctuary for laying eggs every year, sources said, adding the Bhitarakania National Park authorities are also going to organise awareness campaigns among the fisher folk community for the purpose.
The Forest officials are going to set up 14 on-shore and two off-shore camps to keep a watch on the illegal entry of trawlers to the sanctuary during the ban period. The officials have also planned to establish artificial hatcheries for turtle eggs.
“During the ban period, night patrolling is going to be stepped up by the Forest officials with the help of coast guard personnel and marine police,” the DFO said.
Notably, the Olive Ridley sea turtles are protected under the Migratory Species Convention and Convention of International Trade on Wildlife Flora and Fauna. Of the 16 groups of reptiles that have evolved in the last 310 million years, turtle group is one of only four that survive on the earth today.
According to official sources, about 4.30 lakh endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles came for mass nesting from March 17 to 21 this year at the tranquil Nasi II (south Nasi) beach of Gahirmatha and laid eggs.
last year, nearly 160 people had been held and 33 trawlers had been seized from the sanctuary during the turtle nesting season.Generally, the Forest personnel notice the congregated mating turtle pairs at the deep sea of Bay of Bengal between last week of October and mid-November every year. But experts suspect that the severe cyclonic storm Phailin might have affected their congregation in the Odisha coast.
“Although it is premature to speculate anything, turtle experts are waiting till November end with their fingers crossed to monitor the climatic change and beach condition at Gahirmatha, Rushikulya and Devi river mouth after the return of South West monsoon.
If the beach condition will remain compact during November, there is every possibility that the turtles might defer from mass nesting,” said a researcher.