The Mandapam Forest Range Office has arrested eight people from Cuddalore and Chennai on charges of collecting about 150 kg of lugworms, a biological resource protected under the Biodiversity Act for commercial use.
A team of foresters and anti-poaching watchers, led by G. Venkatesh, Mandapam Forest Range Officer was patrolling in the Mandapam-Vedalai seashore area on Monday when they found the accused digging sand at Valayaradi near Vedalai and collecting worms.
The team arrested the eight accused under the provisions of the Biodiversity Act, 2002. The Act prohibited collection of worms for commercial use, they said.
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The accused, who were native of Cuddalore and came from Chennai, told the officials that they have collected worms to feed shrimps in shrimp farms in Chennai and other areas. The accused visited Vedalai three days ago under the guise of fishermen and stayed in coconut farm at Valayarvadi, they said.
Mr. Venkatesh identified the accused as K Perumal, 36, V Sengeni, 45, T Vijay, 21, K Rayar, 22, S Subramanian, 21, M Chandran, 31, T Gopi, 36 and M Karthikeyan, 27. They were produced before a Magistrate court and remanded in judicial custody. The seized lugworms, each measuring about 40 cm and more, were destroyed on court orders.
Describing the lugworms as the biological resource, Mr Venkatesh said though it was not an endangered species, the worms were protected under the Biological Act, 2002. This was the first time in recent years, they have come across people collecting worms for commercial use. It was probably the third case under the Biological Act, 2002 in the State after two cases booked in Pudukottai district, he said.
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