Kendrapada: The forest department has imposed a seven-month fishing ban from Nov 1, 2026, to May 31, 2027, to protect the endangered olive ridley sea turtles in Gahirmatha Marine Sanctuary, the world’s largest rookery for these sea turtles, in Kendrapada district.Turtles arrive in Nov for mating in the seawater. The female marine species lay eggs in March. The forest department has established 14 turtle protection camps, including four offshore camps at Madali, Sasanipada, Ekakula, and Babubali islands, to safeguard turtles in the sanctuary. “We deployed four patrolling boats to prevent illegal fishing and protect the turtles in Gahirmatha. Policemen from marine police stations at Jamboo, Talachua, and Tantiapala in Kendrapara district, Paradip in Jagatsinghpur district, and coast guards of Paradip will help forest officials protect turtles,” said Chitrasen Jena, forest range officer of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary.Marine fishermen have been directed not to fish within 20 km of the coastline in the marine sanctuary areas, which cover 1,435 sq km of sea from Hukitola to Dhamara. In 2023, forest officials demarcated the marine sanctuary areas by installing 14 buoys. In 1997, govt declared Gahirmatha a marine sanctuary to protect marine turtles, as lakhs of turtles visit the coast every winter to lay eggs. Due to the fishing ban imposed by authorities, 6,06,933 turtles laid eggs between March 5 and March 10, 2025, on Nasi-1, Nasi-2, and Eakakulanasi islands within Gahirmatha. However, in 2026, turtles skipped Gahirmatha, added the forest officer.Odisha is home to 50% of the total world population of olive ridleys and about 90% of the Indian population of sea turtles. Each winter, these magnificent creatures start their long journey to Gahirmatha beach in Kendrapara district and Rushikulya beach in Ganjam district to lay eggs.“The turtles repeat the trek every year, always returning to the same beach to lay their eggs and reproduce where they were born,” said Hemant Rout, a noted turtle researcher and president of Gahirmatha Marine Turtles and Mangrove Conservation Society (GMTMCS).During the last turtle season, forest officials arrested 354 marine fishermen and seized 39 fishing vessels, including two boats from West Bengal and two from Andhra Pradesh, for illegal fishing within the marine sanctuary between Nov 1, 2025, and May 31, 2026. The forest department also seized 3,322.38 quintals of fish from the confiscated boats, the officer added.The forest department has made it compulsory for fishing trawlers to install Turtle Excluder Devices (TEDs) in their nets to prevent turtles from drowning. A TED is essentially an escape hatch built into the net. Small marine life like shrimp pass through the grid bars into the end of the net, while larger animals like sea turtles are blocked by the grid and guided by its sloping angle toward an exit hole. With TEDs fitted properly, turtles can swim to safety.