Kendrapara: The Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary which is known as a haven for endangered olive ridley turtles, has become an unsafe territory due to unchecked fishing activities and unrestricted movement of fishing vessels.
Prohibition on sea fishing is enforced within the marine sanctuary limits throughout the year. Moreover, sea patrolling is stepped up within the Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary during November-May every year in view of the annual mass nesting season of sea turtles.
However, it was alleged that the sea patrolling was ineffective due to the unholy nexus between fishermen associations and forest officials.
The matter came to fore after a dispute between the fishing vessel owners in Balasore, Jagatsinghpur and Kendrapara.
It was alleged that some politicians filled their pockets after the Forest Department extended undue favours to a fishermen association in Balasore.
Despite restriction, the vessel owners from Balasore would give bribe to get the lease every year following which they carry out illegal fishing without any interruption, alleged a fisherman from Mahakalapada.
This year, the association paid Rs 72 lakh for the deal, he alleged.
Meanwhile, the environmentalists have raised concern over unabated fishing activities in the prohibited area.
“Earlier, nesting of olive ridley turtles were seen at Chandrabhaga and Baliharchandi beaches in Puri district. But after 2012, the sea turtles stopped coming to these places due to the fishing vessels,” said an environmentalist Sheikh Chand.
“If illegal fishing continues, Gahirmatha will also face the similar consequences in the upcoming days,” he added.
Environmentalist Abhimanyu Rout said, “Even though a petition challenging illegal fishing and prawn enclosures in the marine sanctuary territory has been filed in the Orissa High Court, the mid-sea fish market and fishing within the prohibited territory would destroy the ecosystem of the district’s key tourist destination.
“Even as the number of olive ridley turtles coming to Gahirmatha has been reduced, the forest department is not revealing the accurate data.”