Chhatrapur: Fishermen in Ganjam have urged the government to make relaxations in the present ban on fishing near the Rushikulya river mouth which has been imposed by the Forest Department in view of the nesting and hatching season of endangered Olive Ridley turtles.
In a letter to Ganjam Collector Dibya Jyoti Parida Tuesday, the fishermen’s association has demanded that they be permitted to use ring nets which are meant for catching fish in the deep sea. Moreover, the government should provide a compensation of Rs 15,000 to each fisherman in the age group of 18 – 70 years during the Olive Ridley conservation period.
Also, the existing restricted period till May 31, 2025 be reduced to April 30, 2025. With the nesting season of the iconic Olive Ridley turtles looming, the Forest Department imposed a ban on casting nets near the Rushikulya River mouth from November 1 till May 31, 2025. This was done keeping in mind the whole period – from the turtles laying eggs to the hatchlings swimming back into the sea. However, traditional fishermen, who are into this business for generations, denied any harm caused by their nets to the turtles. They said that they are, in fact, taking extra precautions not to harm the nesting of the turtles during their egg-laying season as they never cast nets close to the area. According to the specifications in the order, the Forest department had restricted the fishermen from spreading nets around the turtles’ conservation area.