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Trawlers seized near nesting site of Olive Ridley turtles
India News
3rd December 2003
Wildlife officials in Orissa have seized at least 20 mechanised trawlers operating illegally in a prohibited zone near a beach that serves as a rare nesting site for endangered Olive Ridley turtles.
The mechanised trawlers were spotted in different locations in Gahirmatha, 174 km from here, said a wildlife department official.
The beach off the waters of the Bay of Bengal serves as a massive rookery for Olive Ridley turtles.
Olive Ridley turtles tend to move onshore to nest in large synchronised concentrations.
"This phenomenon occurs only at a few sites in the world now, with Orissa being one of the most important," the official told IANS over the phone.
The turtles, which come for their annual nesting in winter to the site, have already reached the site. The mass nesting is expected in February, he said.
The main threats to their existence are mechanised fishing trawlers, in whose nets the endangered animals get entangled.
Therefore, the wildlife department is taking every precaution to provide them safer places both in the water and on the beach, the official said.
"We have intensified patrolling along the sites, and set up temporary camps with the help of the locals," he said.
The vessels, four of which were from the Andhra Pradesh coast, were seized over the last month. The 50 odd crewmembers were also arrested
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