File picture of Olive Ridley turtles

Paradip, Nov. 15: The turtle-protection squad of the state forest department has taken seven fishermen into custody early morning today for intruding into the prohibited breeding zones of the endangered marine animals.

The squad also seized deep-sea trawl, used by the accused fishermen for sea fishing near Hukitola island in the Gahirmatha marine sanctuary.

The fishermen were forwarded to jail custody under sections 27 and 29 of the provisions of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and the Orissa Marine Fishing Regulation Act, 1982, said a forest official.

The sea patrolling has been stepped up within the sanctuary water territory in view of the annual mass nesting of the Olive Ridley sea turtles.

The Indian Coast Guard, state forest department, police and the fisheries department are jointly conducting operation to stop unlawful trawling to ensure the turtles’ safety, said officer of the Rajnagar mangrove (wildlife) forest division Kedar Kumar Swain.

The state government has clamped a ban on trawl fishing along the 20-km stretch sanctuary from November 1 in view of the ensuing mass nesting of endangered Olive Ridley turtles. The imposition of prohibition was in accordance with sections 2, 3 and 4 of the Orissa Maine Fishing Regulation Act.

Rise in mortality rate of the mating turtles along the coast led to the ban as the gill nets prove to be messenger of death for them. The species get entangled in the nets and die of asphyxiation. They also perish after getting hit by the propeller of the fishing trawlers, a forest official said.