Kendrapada: Forest officials on Tuesday seized two fishing trawlers, Nandini-1 and Ombaba, and apprehended 19 marine fishermen for allegedly carrying out illegal fishing inside the Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary within Bhitarkanika National Park in Kendrapada district.The incident occurred during routine patrolling by staff of the Gahirmatha Wildlife Range in the morning. The patrolling team spotted the two trawlers, carrying 19 persons, allegedly engaged in fishing with gill nets and trawling nets about 4 km from Madeli Mouth, within the sanctuary limits.Officials intercepted the trawlers and asked the occupants to produce valid documents or permission for entering the protected area and carrying out fishing activities. However, they reportedly failed to produce any valid documents authorising their entry into the sanctuary or fishing within its limits, said Chitrasen Jena, forest range officer of the marine sanctuary.During interrogation, officials found that the fishermen had allegedly entered the sanctuary intentionally for fishing. Their activities were found to be in violation of provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972, including Sections 9, 27, 29 and 31, punishable under Section 51 of the Act.The forest team seized two fishing trawlers, two GPS sets, two VHF sets, 10 trawling nets, 11 gill nets and around 40 kg of miscellaneous marine fish from the spot.Officials said the accused had knowingly entered the sanctuary for illegal fishing, allegedly disturbing and damaging the habitat and adversely affecting marine wildlife.Two wildlife offence cases were registered in connection with the incident. The apprehended fishermen were later forwarded to the court after completion of the necessary formalities, Jena said.Marine fishermen have been prohibited from fishing within 20 km of the coastline in the Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary, which covers 1,435 sq km of sea area from Hukitola to Dhamara. The government has imposed a year-round ban on all types of fishing in the sanctuary to protect endangered marine species.In 1997, the state government declared Gahirmatha a marine sanctuary to protect Olive Ridley sea turtles. Every winter, lakhs of turtles arrive on the Gahirmatha coast for mass nesting. Gahirmatha beach is recognised as the world’s largest rookery for sea turtles, the forest officer added.