In a heartfelt achievement, over 1,000 whale sharks have been rescued from fishing nets along the coasts of Gujarat and Kerala in the past year. The Wildlife Trust of India celebrates this success as a significant milestone that highlights the changing relationship between fishers and these gentle giants.
The most recent rescue happened on Pongal, a Hindu harvest festival, in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala. Local fishermen joined forces to free a whale shark trapped in a net, guiding it safely back to the ocean.
This rescue was part of the Wildlife Trust of India’s ‘Pan India Whale Shark Project’, which has been active for about eight years. Collaborating with the Kerala Forest and Fisheries Departments, this initiative has made incredible strides in protecting whale sharks.
The effort began two decades ago in Gujarat, driven by the International Fund for Animal Welfare, Tata Chemicals, and the Gujarat Forest Department. The project was established to combat the alarming hunting of these magnificent fish. Inspiration came from the Oscar-winning documentary Shores of Silence by Mike Pandley, which shed light on the plight of whale sharks. A TRAFFIC India report documented 600 whale shark landings between 1999 and 2000, prompting the Indian government to list them as a protected species under the Indian Wildlife Act.
Since its inception, the project in Gujarat has helped return about 967 whale sharks to their waters. This success is thanks to the dedication of local fishermen and the cooperation of Indian State Fisheries and Forest Departments.
Moreover, since 2011, 11 whale sharks have been tagged to study their migration patterns better. This tracking helps scientists understand how these creatures live and travel, enhancing global efforts to protect them.
