The Bhitarkanika Mangroves were zamindari forests until 1952, when the government of Odisha abolished the zamindari system, and put the zamindari forests in the control of the state forest department. In 1975, an area of 672 km2 (259 sq mi) was declared the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary. The core area of the sanctuary, with an area of 145 km2 (56 sq mi), was declared Bhitarkanika National Park in September 1998. The Gahirmatha Marine Wildlife Sanctuary, which bounds the Bhitarkanika Wildlife Sanctuary to the east, was created in September 1997, and encompasses Gahirmatha Beach and an adjacent portion of the Bay of Bengal. Bhitarkanika Mangroves were designated a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance in 2002.[3]
Olive ridley turtles arrive in January to March for nesting at Gahirmatha Beach. An average of 240,000 nests per season was estimated between 1976 and 1996. Up to 80,000 individuals were captured every year until 1982. Since 1983, collecting and marketing turtles and their eggs is banned.[5]
^Rajagopalan, M.; Vivekanandan, E.; Pillai, S. K.; Srinath, M.; Bastian, F. (1996). "Incidental catch of sea turtles in India"(PDF). Marine Fisheries Information Service. Technical and Extension Series (143): 8–17. Archived(PDF) from the original on 2018-11-02. Retrieved 2019-05-19.
