Four fisherman taken into custody for marine fishing

In the second interception since the ban on marine fishing, four fishermen were taken into custody and a mechanised boat used by them was seized from Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary in Orissa's Kendrapara district.

The turtle surveillance patrols spotted the vessels yesterday near Babuballi Island off Gahirmatha coast, Rajnagar Mangrove Forest Division sources said.

Earlier this month, eight marine fishermen had been taken into custody on charges of unauthorised fishing.

As many as 212 marine fishermen were arrested and 84 sea-worthy trawls and vessels were seized during ban clamped last year as vessels defied the OMFRA provisions and indulged in fishing along the prohibited water zones, they said.

The State government has clamped trawl fishing ban along the 20 km stretch Gahirmatha marine sanctuary from November 1 till May 31 in view of the ensuing mass nesting of endangered Olive Ridley marine turtles.