The Gujarat Forest Department and the Wildlife Trust of India were assisted by the local fisher community.
Whale Shark: A 30-foot-long adult female Whale shark found itself in a perilous situation after becoming entangled in a fishing net off the Sutrapada coast in Gir-Somnath district of Gujarat on Thursday.
With the assistance of the local fisher community, the Gujarat Forest Department & Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), a coordinated rescue operation was launched. The whale shark was carefully fitted with a satellite transmitter before being released back into the sea.
This marks the 10th successful Whale shark to be satellite tagged as part of an ongoing study to understand and map their migration patterns.
Sajan John, Marine Specialist at WTI, said, “The data provided by the satellite tags is essential for formulating conservation management strategies for these megafaunas, especially those using a large marine spatial area under different geopolitical jurisdictions.”
“Whale sharks, being highly migratory marine animals, prefer to aggregate off the Saurashtra coast of Gujarat to meet their biological needs. The Gujarat Forest Department, in collaboration with WTI, endeavours to understand their habitat use and migration patterns from Gujarat waters through a satellite telemetry research programme aimed at establishing sustainable conservation strategies for these globally threatened and nationwide legally protected marine species in Gujarat waters,” said Akshay Joshi, IFS, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Junagadh Forest Division.
The Whale shark is the largest fish on earth and is recognised as a vital keystone species in our marine ecosystem. Their vast migratory behaviour exposes them to numerous threats including habitat destruction, unregulated and unsustainable fishing practices, accidental entanglement in fishing nets, and coastal pollution. These threats collectively endanger the species, pushing them close to extinction.
The Indian Government Ministry of Environment and Forests has accorded the highest level of protection to Whale sharks by listing them in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, making them the first fish species to receive nationwide protection.
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