Efforts On To Protect Whale Sharks In Gujarat

February 28, 2005

Release from: Navhind Times (India)

Ahmedabad: To protect the magnificent whale sharks that visit the coastlines of Gujarat from the poachers, an animal welfare organisation has started awareness campaign among the fishmen community about their vital role in India’s marine ecoystem.The whale shark which is the biggest shark and the world’s largest fish visits the coastlines of Gujarat for breeding. But often they meet a gory end at the hands of fishermen who kill it for commercial use, says Mr Dhiresh Joshi president of Wildlife Trust of India (WTI).

Though they are the world’s biggest shark which can grow upto 50 feet in length, which is approximately five storey building, they are the most gentle creature and feed only on planktons— small organisms.

“The whale sharks are not killed for local consumption, but for exporting to other countries especially the far east countries where shark fin soups are consumed as a delicacy” Mr Joshi says.

The local fishermen, however, used the oil of these giant fish to water-proof their boats. This is because there is a perception among the fishermen that once their boats are coated with the oil of these sharks then it is not possible for the water to seep into their boats, he adds.

The killing of these fishes being carried out on a very large scale till the year 2001 when the government banned it by declaring them as a highly protected species under schedule one of the Wildlife Protection Act 1972.

Though they belong to the shark family, they are not at all aggressive. Unlike the sharks which are dangerous, these fishes are very gentle. Though they have a gigantic body, they have very small teeth.

Hence killing is very easy because these fish swim at a speed of about five kms per hour which is less than walking speed, he adds.

Studies have revealed that whale sharks migrate hundreds and even thousands of kilometres. A whale shark which was fitted with a tracking device had travelled over 2000 kms in 40 months.

They undertake huge migration, breeding in the Indian Ocean and then moving south around Cape Horn into the Atlantic and Caribbean waters.

To sensitise the people the WTI has been undertaking a series of campaign describing how the whale shark plays a very vital role in India’s marine eco-system and how the presence of this rare and elusive creature in the coastlines of Gujarat should be a matter of great pride for them.

One of the unique thing which the WTI did to sensitise the people of Gujarat was by taking the help of a popular religious leader, Mr Morari Bapu.

In one of the campaigns last year, the religious leader likened the whale shark visiting the shores of Gujarat to a daughter visiting her parents and said it was indeed sad that fishermen hunted this gentle giant instead of protecting it and creating an environment conducive for it to breed.

The WTI has also been organising exhibition of paintings of these creatures. Last year the historic city of Dwarakaand the maritime city of Okha together adopted Vhali, the whale shark as the city mascot in a ceremony.

The campaign seems to be paying off. There were cases when fishermen preferred to cut their costly nets to free the whale shark rather than kill it.