Kendrapara: Forest personnel engaged in a vital turtle protection drive along the coast of Gahirmatha beach in Kendrapara district faced a perilous situation as their trawler came under attack by illegal fishing trawlers on Monday, according to official sources.
Gahirmatha Beach is renowned as the world’s largest-known nesting ground for Olive Ridley turtles, attracting millions of turtles for mass nesting annually. The forest officials, stationed on patrolling duty, narrowly escaped an attempted attack, thanks to the timely intervention of two additional patrolling teams.
Led by Madan Hansda, forest personnel promptly alerted the District Forest Officer and Assistant Conservator of Forests after being besieged by a group of marauding individuals aboard 17 fishing trawlers during their patrol. Following the DFO’s instructions, the forest officials resorted to blank firing as a precautionary measure. Simultaneously, two other patrolling teams from Sasanpeta and Babubali rushed to Hukitola in response to the DFO’s directive to assist their colleagues.
Upon witnessing the approach of the additional patrolling teams, the fishing trawlers reportedly retreated from the scene.
This incident marks the third attack attempt on the patrolling team within the past month and a half, highlighting the risks faced by forest personnel in safeguarding the marine habitat.
District Forest Officer Sudarshan Gopinath Yadav emphasized the importance of forest officials carrying weapons during patrols due to the inherent risks involved in their duties.
It is worth noting that a forest official lost his life while on patrol in the Gahiramatha Sanctuary 15 years ago.
In an effort to mitigate the high mortality rate of marine species, the Odisha government has enforced a prohibition on fishing activities within a seaward radius of 20 km from Gahirmatha under the Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act (OMFRA), 1982. Despite the implementation of such regulations, the marine sanctuary continues to face incursions by fishing trawlers into the turtle habitation corridor on an annual basis.
