Kerala fishermen get laurels for whale shark conservation efforts
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) as part of the Whale Shark Conservation Project in Kerala will honour the fishermen involved in the conservation of whale sharks. With International Whale Shark Day falling on September 30, during the Onam week, WTI will celebrate the day on September 6 and 8 along with the fisheries department, forest department, panchayats, and fishermen’s associations.
A mural depicting the campaign message will be installed as a testament to the campaign’s ideals.
After the successful launch of the whale shark conservation efforts, the organisation is gearing up to launch the second phase of the campaign. The year-long programme will take place along the coastal regions of Kerala and Lakshadweep in partnership.
Efforts towards protecting the species began in 2018 with the help of fishermen, who successfully liberated seven whale sharks ensnared in the nets along the Kerala coast.
“The objective of the campaign is to foster conservation awareness about whale sharks among marine fishermen, local communities and students. Reducing their accidental entanglements in fishing nets, thereby facilitating the release of whale sharks back into their natural habitat is one method. To support these efforts, a dedicated mobile application has been developed to record instances of whale shark sightings and successful rescue missions,” said Sajan John, Marine Specialist at Wildlife Trust of India.