The IUCN/SSC Shark Specialist Group
Shark News 12: November 1998
|
Whale Shark Fishery in India
A significant target fishery for whale shark Rhincodon typus, the
world's largest living fish, has reportedly developed in India, at least
partly to supply the growing external demand for whale shark fins and
meat.
Whale sharks occur off the west coast of India between November
and April each year, when large schools of sardines, mackerel,
skipjack and yellowfin tuna, bonitos and frigate birds also visit these
coastal waters. Whale sharks are used by fishermen as indicators of
tuna aggregations in some regions.
The fishery is particularly active in March to April in Veraval and
Okha, on the coast of Gujarat, but the species is also taken as bycatch
in other maritime states. Gujarat is the major maritime state of India,
with the longest coastline (1,640 km) and widest continental shelf
(36% of India's continental shelf area).
Gujarat fishermen harpoon whale sharks ranging from 4 m to
12 m in length, or 2-8 tonnes weight, then haul them by boat (or
vice-versa!) for up to 8-10 hours until the animal is exhausted, or the
fishermen abandon the capture attempt. The shark is then towed
alongside the fishing boat back to the shore, where the meat is cut up
in shallow water, dried or frozen, and dispatched for resale.
The initial purchase price for fresh meat received by fishermen is
low: Rs. 2-5/kg (at about Rs. 30-40 = US$1). The value of one shark
has been calculated as about Rs. 6500 (US$160-200) before
operational costs, or a net income of Rs. 4000 ($100-120).
Huge profits, however, are made by fish traders. The resale value
of frozen whale shark meat for export to Taiwan, Korea, Hongkong
and Singapore has reached Rs. 40, or US$1/kg. A set of four dried fins
fetches Rs.15,000-17,000, or US$400-500. Customs records indicate
that India exported about 200 tonnes of whale shark meat (excluding
dried fins) in 1995/96.
The whale shark is a delicacy in Taiwan, where it is referred to as
the tofu shark because of its soft, white flesh. Demand has risen in
recent years, and whale shark meat is now the most expensive of the
shark meats available in Taiwanese markets, where retail prices have
reached US$15/kg (Chen et al. 1997). Export data from India show
that whale shark meat is also exported to other East Asian markets, e.g.
Singapore and Hong Kong.
Chen et al. (1997) have made several recommendations regarding
the species' management and conservation in Taiwan. Bans on the
fishing of whale sharks were introduced in the Maldives in 1993 and
the Philippines in 1998.
The apparently low abundance and highly migratory nature of
this species could mean that the whale shark's protected status in a
few Indian Ocean countries (e.g. Maldives and the Philippines) and
the valuable whale shark tourism industry in Australia, the Philippines,
Maldives and Seychelles may be compromised by unregulated fisheries
in other parts of the species' range. It is important to further study the
fishery and trade in India in order to assess the impact on whale shark
populations, and to determine whether regulatory or other measures
are necessary in order to ensure the conservation of this species.
TRAFFIC (WWF) India received a grant from the Rufford Foundation
in 1998 to undertake such a study. The project will investigate trade
in whale sharks and their products off the Gujarat coast, India. Field
work will be started in October 1998 or later (weather permitting in
this cyclone-prone area).
Reference
Chen, C. T., Liu, K.M. and Joung, S.J. 1997. Preliminary Report
on Taiwan's Whale Shark Fishery. TRAFFIC Bulletin 17(1):53-57
Fahmeeda Hanfee, TRAFFIC (WWF)-India,
172-B Lodi Estate, New Delhi, 110003, India
Email: trfindia@del3.vsnl.net.in
|
|
|
|
|
