In a joint operation, the coast guard and forest personnel engaged in sea patrolling have taken 23 fishermen into custody on charge of carrying out illegal fishing voyage in the prohibited Gahirmatha marine sanctuary today, an official said.
The fishermen breached the law for intruding into the prohibited breeding zones of endangered olive ridley sea turtles and were arrested under the legal provisions, Divisional Forest Officer, Rajnagar Mangrove (Wildlife) Forest Division, Kedar Kumar Swain said.
Seven seaworthy vessels pressed into service by the fishermen for fishing were also seized, he said.
The fishermen were later sent to jail custody under the relevant sections of the provisions of Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 and Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1982, said forest officials.
The fishing vessels had trespassed into prohibited sanctuary corridors contravening the provisions of wildlife protection act, Orissa Marine fishing regulation act and mandatory rules of marine sanctuary, he said.
Till date 29 vessels have been seized and 180 fishermen were taken into custody for violating the prohibition, Swain said.
The crackdown of unlawful sea fishing has been stepped up in an attempt to make the turtles' concentration zone from human interference.
