BHUBANESWAR: The State Government imposed six-month fishing ban from today to protect the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles in Gahirmatha marine sanctuary. Trawlers and boatmen have been directed not to fish within 20 km off the coast in the marine sanctuary areas covering 35-km stretch from Agaranasi to Dhamra. Each winter lakhs of turtles come to Orissa coast for laying eggs. Gahiramatha beach is the largest rookery of the sea turtles in the world for which the government bans all types of fishing for six months to save the marine species, said Prasana Kumar Behera, Divisional Forest Officer, Bhitarkanika National Park. Last year, Forest officials seized about 34 fishing boats and trawlers and arrested at least 130 fishermen on the charges of illegally fishing in the marine sanctuary areas. Three years back, a fishermen Vikash Biswas of village Kharinashi in Kendrapara district was shot dead by Forest guards when he along with other fishermen were illegally fishing in the marine sanctuary areas. Another fishermen Ganesh Das of West Bengal was also shot dead by Forest guards four years back when he along with other fishermen were illegally fishing in Gahirmatha sea. Five years back, Shyamsundar Kandi, a Forest guard was killed by some fishermen in Gahirmatha when he tried to nab some fishermen in the sanctuary areas.