THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It is not everyday that one gets to see a whale shark near the coast. In an incident that has garnered much appreciation from conservation activists, a juvenile whale shark swimming close to the shore near Shankhumukham beach was promptly released into the ocean by fishermen after it was caught by accident last week. John Martin, a veteran fisherman from Shankhumukham, did not think twice when he decided to cut open his shore seine net worth Rs 1 lakh to rescue the whale shark measuring four-metre long and weighing close to 1,000 kg. It was the tragic death of another whale shark caught in similar circumstances at Veli beach last year that prompted John to take the quick decision.
“There were people who wanted to cut the fins and tail for its market value. But I was firm on releasing it,” said John who fishes regularly at the beach.
The fisherman said that the giant sea creature did not cause any harm when he swam to close to the net to investigate the abnormal weight pulling it.John’s actions were in keeping with the tradition of fishermen in the district who are known to rescue turtles and juvenile fish varieties caught in the nets.
His decision to set free an endangered species has won laurels from organisations involved in conservation, although the good deed has cost him dearly.
“My net has become useless and to restart fishing, I will have to buy a new one,” said John.According to Ajith Sanghumugham, a fishermen blogger in the area, lack of awareness of the law and financial difficulties force fishermen to kill whale sharks caught in the net. The meat is not edible but dead whale sharks are sent to factories to make manure.
Conservation campaign
Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) which has started a whale shark conservation programme in Kerala and Lakshadweep in 2017, said more fishermen have become aware of the conservation laws. The first rescue was recorded in Ponnani followed by another successful rescue in Kozhikode over the last three years. “Whale sharks are easy to identify due to their distinct spots.
As part of the conservation campaign, we displayed a true-to-size whale shark balloon to create awareness among fishermen and the general public,” said Sajan John, head of policy and marine project, WTI. According to him, the WTI project has helped in rescuing over 100 whale sharks on Gujarat coast where the species is found the most in India. “Usually, whale sharks are found along the Kerala coast between October and March as the coast forms their migratory path. A whale shark can grow up to 40 feet long and weigh around 20 tonnes.