Vadodara: The Ministry of Forestry has arrested a man for selling sea fans, also called ‘Indraja’ in local languages, in the city.
The defendant was identified as Narendra Attarwala had saved sea fans in his shop near Mandvi.
Active investigation to ensure whether more people are involved in the crime.
According to forest officials, a total of 862 cut sea fans recovered from the defendant.
Some of them are restored in raw shape while other pieces are confiscated in the form of a photo frame.
“We have received information about it from the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB).
WCCB and forest officials then put a trap and sent to bait customers to buy sea fans at the Attarwala store,” said Forest Official.
Sea fans are invertebrate marine animals that make up an important part of the coral reef system.
They are similar to soft corals but they are their own anchors in mud or sand.
Most nocturnal sea fans and need strong currents to bring their food.
“We tried to find out the source from which the defendant got sea fans,” said M M M Rajyaguru, assistant forest conservator (ACF), Vadodara.
Forest officials said many people believe that keeping sea fans at home or their office brings luck and money.
“Keeping all any wildlife at home can be punished under the Protection Law of Margasatwa, 1972.
Sea fans are listed under the schedule of 1 law,” added forest officials.