Kendrapara, Dec 23: The officials of Odisha Forest Department have arrested 17 fishermen and seized their fishing trawler for illegally operating within the protected turtle congregation zone of the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in Kendrapara district.
The arrest followed the confiscation of the trawler, which had been used by the fishermen to illegally fish in the restricted area. The operation took place on Sunday, with forest patrol teams carrying out the seizure.
The arrested individuals, who are traditional marine fishermen from Balasore district, were subsequently remanded to judicial custody, said an official.
The fishermen’s vessels had illegally entered the sanctuary’s protected corridors, violating several environmental regulations, including the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, the Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation, and the sanctuary's mandatory rules, the forest officer explained.
