Mud Crabs: 3 arrested for illegal mud crab trading in Kendrapada | Bhubaneswar News
Kendrapada: Forest officials have arrested three men and seized around two quintals of live mud crabs packed in eight sacks from a Kolkata-bound bus at Silipur village on National Highway-53. The arrests and seizure were made on Wednesday at Mahakalapada forest range in Kendrapada district’s Bhitarkanika National Park.
The arrested persons are all in their 30s and they were identified as Susant Mandal, Mrutunjaya Bala and Sailan Bepari of Kharinashi village.They were booked under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.
“We also seized an autorickshaw used by the trio for carrying the crabs to Silipur,” Nalinikanta Behera, forest range officer in Mahakalapada, said.
“We released all the mud crabs into Krushnapriyapur creek in Bhitarkanika,” Behera added.
Forest-dwellers can catch the crabs for their consumption but they cannot sell or transport them commercially, she said.
“Forest guards are instructed to keep vigil in Bhitarkanika and its nearby areas to stop the illegal trade of mud crabs. Many traders have started supplying crabs from these areas to Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Kolkata and other cities this rainy season,” Behera added.
In March, two persons were arrested while transporting mud crabs in Bhitarkanika. “While we want people to enjoy fishing for cooking delicacies, it is important that wildlife rules are followed,” he said.
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