The Odisha government on Saturday imposed a seven-month ban on fishing in three river mouths of the state to protect the olive ridley turtles, the state’s flagship marine species, as part of its annual olive ridley turtle conservation programme.

The ban on fishing came into effect from Saturday and would continue till May 31, 2026.

However, the traditional fishermen opposed it and said the government should reduce the ban period from seven months to five months and double the compensation given to them.

The state government, in a notification, said: "The state government do hearby prohibit fishing by motorised vessels, trawlers, and those using mechanised fishing techniques in 20km from the following specified coast of the sea comprising the sea turtle congregation area and their buffer zones in the vicinity of the following three river mouths of the Odisha coast for the period from November 1, 2025 to 31st May, 2026."

The three major mouths where the ban has come into effect are the Rushikulya river mouth (south of Prayagi to north of Aryapalli) in Ganjam, the Devi river mouth (Keluni Muhan to New Devi Nassi Island North) covering Jagatsingpur and Puri district, and the Dhamra river mouth (Scortt's Island to Udabati North) in Bhadrak district. These three river mouths are known as olive ridley nesting sites. Nearly 11 lakh olive ridleys visit these sites to lay their eggs annually. Mass nesting of these eco-sensitive creatures is referred to as "Arribada" in Spanish.

The ban has come into force in accordance with the provisions of the Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act (OMFRA), 1982, and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. In order to effectively implement the ban, the state government has set up 61 shore camps and five offshore camps in these areas covering these three sea mouths.

According to the government guidelines, there would be joint patrolling of the fishery department and the marine police to ensure that the olive ridley turtles get a safe place for laying the eggs. The forest department will also provide the required feedback. "If required, we can also take the help of the coast guard," said an official.

After laying the eggs, the turtles leave the place and go back to the sea. Hatchlings emerge from these eggs after 45-60 days.

Rushikulya Sea Turtle Protection Committee secretary Rabindranath Sahu told The Telegraph: "The ban will certainly help in the conservation of turtles. The turtles would soon arrive in mass to lay their eggs. But the endangered species are killed in large numbers either by getting entangled in fishing nets or being hit by fishing trawler propellers."

On the other hand, Odisha Traditional Fish Workers Union (OTFWU) demanded that the ban period be reduced from seven months to five months. "The turtles are arriving late because of climate change. There is no need to impose the ban from November 1," said Krushna Mallick.

"Whatever compensation is being given to the fisherman is not adequate. We know how difficult it is to manage a family at this point, considering the rising prices of essential commodities. The compensation amount of ₹15,000 should be enhanced to ₹30,000," said another fisherman, Satyaranjan Senapati.

General secretary of the union, K. Yellayya, said: "The fishermen's families should be given an alternative livelihood support during this period. Also, the restriction on fishing should be reduced from 20km from the coast to 5km."