Fishermen return an entangled whale shark to the sea in Poonthura, Trivandrum Coast
The Wildlife Trust of India’s Pan India Whale Shark Project has rescued and released 1,001 whale sharks that were accidentally entangled in fishing nets, which the agency says is a historic moment that reflects extraordinary collaboration between conservationists, agencies governmental and fishing compassion of the country. communities in saving these gentle giants of the ocean.
whale sharks (Rhincodon typus) are the largest fish in the ocean, with the largest reliable record of a whale shark totaling 62 feet (18.8 meters). Despite their large size, these gentle giants are filter feeders, consuming mainly plankton, small fish and other small organisms by swimming with their mouths open to filter food from the water. Recognized by their distinctive patterns of white spots and stripes on a gray-blue body, whale sharks are found in tropical and warm temperate oceans around the world. A migratory species, they often travel great distances to feed and breed, but many aspects of their behavior and life cycle remain mysterious. Unfortunately, they are listed as endangered due to threats such as accidental entanglement in fishing gear, habitat destruction and poaching.
The latest rescue happened on the festive day of Pongal, or Makar Sankranti, in Achutheghu, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Fisherfolk carefully detached a whale shark from their fishing nets and guided it back to sea, marking the 34th such rescue in Kerala since the state joined the Pan India Whale Shark Project in 2017. This initiative, led by WTI in collaboration with the Kerala Forest and Fisheries Departments and supported by VST Industries Limited, has flourished thanks to the unwavering support of the local communities.
Whale Shark satellite tagged Veraval by WTI.
“For the past seven years, this project in Kerala has thrived through the unwavering support of the community,” said Saymanti B, Officer in Charge of Natural Heritage Campaigns at WTI. “The 34th rescue from our project site stands as a testament to the power of successful private partnerships. These achievements would not have been possible without the tremendous cooperation of the fishing community, supporting partners and donors.”
But this success story dates back to 2004, when WTI launched the Pan India Whale Shark Project in Gujarat. At the time, whale sharks faced an alarming threat due to mass hunting; this plight gained global attention through Mike Pandey’s award-winning documentary Shores of Silence,” which shed light on the carnage of these magnificent creatures. A report by TRAFFIC India further revealed over 600 whale shark landings between 1999 and 2000, highlighting the urgency for action. In response, the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change listed the whale shark in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, giving it the highest level of protection. A historic decision, as whale sharks became the first fish species in India to receive such a status.
Since then, the project in Gujarat has facilitated the rescue and release of 967 whale sharks, with fishermen playing a key role. Their willingness to adapt fishing practices and actively participate in conservation efforts has been key to this success, WTI points out. The initiative has also benefited from partnerships with the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Tata Chemicals Ltd. and the Gujarat Forest Department, who have all provided vital resources and support. WTI has also aged 11 whale sharks since 2011, enabling researchers to track their movements and gain insight into their migration patterns off the Indian coast and beyond. Farukhkha Bloch, Head of the Pan India Whale Shark Project, explains: “The Saurashtra coast in Gujarat hosts a preferred aggregation habitat for whale sharks to fulfill their biological needs, especially for females to give birth and breed. feeding on plankton. Our collaboration with the Gujarat Forest Department has allowed us to study their movement patterns and biological preferences.” The team hopes to tag more sharks in the future for further insight into how they use the waters off India. With continued efforts, India’s whale shark population has a fighting chance to thrive.
