Odisha bans sea fishing near three river mouths to protect Olive Ridley turtles

• Odisha prohibits sea fishing within 20 km of the coast near the Dhamara, Devi and Rushikulya river mouths until 31 May.

• The ban aims to prevent Olive Ridley turtles from getting caught in fishing nets or being hit by trawler propellers.

• Around 11,000 fishing families are expected to be affected, with the state announcing Rs 15,000 in one-time assistance for each family.

The Odisha government on Sunday, 1 November imposed a seven-month ban on sea fishing within 20 km of the coast around the mouths of the Dhamara, Devi and Rushikulya rivers to protect Olive Ridley turtles during their annual breeding and nesting season, officials said. The prohibition will remain in force until 31 May.

Sea fishing, however, continues to be prohibited throughout the year along the Gahirmatha coast, regarded as the largest habitation corridor of the highly endangered marine species. Gahirmatha has been designated a marine sanctuary because of the large congregation of turtles, forest officials said.

The annual restriction aims to prevent turtles from dying after becoming entangled in fishing nets or being struck by the propellers of fishing trawlers. Officials said the ban has been imposed under the Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act (OMFRA), 1982, and provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

A multi-layered surveillance operation involving the forest and fisheries departments, Marine Police and Coast Guard will be undertaken to enforce the prohibition, they added.

The government has set up 61 onshore camps and five offshore camps across four wildlife divisions — Bhadrak, Rajnagar, Puri and Berhampur. Armed police personnel have been deployed to assist forest and fisheries teams, a forest officer said.

Five high-speed boats, 13 trawlers and support vessels have also been deployed to intercept illegal fishing in the prohibited zones, the officer added.

The ban is expected to affect around 11,000 fishing families. To compensate for the loss of livelihood, the state government has announced one-time financial assistance of Rs 15,000 for each affected family, the officer said.

Olive Ridley turtles congregate in large numbers along Odisha’s coast for mating and nesting. Female turtles come ashore, usually under the cover of darkness, to lay their eggs in a mass-nesting phenomenon known as ‘arribada’. The hatchlings emerge after 45 to 60 days and make their way to the sea without parental care.

With PTI inputs