Forest personnel of the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in Odisha, India, on Friday intercepted as many as five fishing vessels, while they were catching fish unauthorisedly after trespassing into the No Fishing Zone within the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, near Madali mouth and arrested 36 fishermen for illegally catching fish with trawlers.
The forest personnel also seized 29 quintals of fish catch along with 47 nets, one dead Olive Ridley sea turtle weighing about 55 kg and 5 each of GPS, fish finder and VHF set from the intercepted trawlers, informed Rajnagar Mangrove (Forest)and Wildlife Division DFO Bikash Ranjan Dash.
According to Dash, the forest personnel booked all the arrested fishermen under Section 27,29,31 of the Wild life(protection)Act,1972.
They were produced before the JMFC Court of Rajnagar where they were remanded to jail custody after their bail pleas were rejected by the court.
The Rajnagar Veterinary surgeon conducted autopsy of the seized Olive Ridley turtle body and buried the carcass.
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