Eleven fishermen were arrested and their trawler seized for illegal fishing in turtle zones of Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, Odisha's Kendrapara district. Forest officers confirmed the fishermen, from Kendrapara, were sent to judicial custody on December 1, 2025. They face charges under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Since November 1, 2025, 130 fishermen have been arrested and about a dozen vessels seized for entering the sanctuary. The Odisha government has imposed a seven-month fishing ban along a 20-km coastal stretch from Dhamara to the Devi river mouth from November 1, in view of the mass nesting of endangered Olive Ridley turtles. Fishing is banned year-round inside Gahirmatha marine sanctuary. Forest officials said, "The turtles die of asphyxiation after getting entangled in nets, and also get hit by fishing trawlers." This strict protection aims to save the turtles during their critical nesting season.