Trivandrum, Kerala 8 January 2021

In an event held today, co-organised by the Kerala Forest Dept and the Wildlife Trust of India at Forest HQ, Trivandrum, fisherfolk who had rescued and released the endangered whale shark entangled in their fishing nets were felicitated with cash awards, appreciation letter and a shield.

The event was attended by Shri P.K.Kesavan (IFS) Principal Chief Conservator of Forests -Head of Forest Force, Kerala, Shri Surendra Kumar (IFS) Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & Chief Wildlife Warden,   Shri D.K. Verma (IFS) Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and B. Anjan Kumar (IFS) from the Kerala state forest department. Shri Sajan John, Head-Marine projects, and Mr. Sethu G, Field officer from Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) ensured the smooth conduct of the felicitation ceremony.

During the event the cheque of INR 10,000/- was awarded by WTI while a matching financial award of INR 10,000 reward was handed over by the Kerala Forest Department to the fisherfolk representatives Mr. John Martin, and Mr. Joy Anjelos of Kannanthura, Shangumugham.

“Not only animal lovers, but people who can empathize are the ones who are capable of such virtuosity” said Shri P.K.Kesavan (IFS) PCCF – HoFF, Kerala praising the fisherfolk who had cut their nets to free the entangled whale shark ensuring its return back to the wild.

“fishers are an integral part of marine conservation and their active support is key for conservation of endangered marine species, we work closely with them in our Whale Shark Conservation Project” added Sajan John, Head, Marine projects, WTI.

The whale shark (Rhincodon typus) is the largest fish on earth. Reaching a length of 18 m and weighing close to 21 tons as an adult, it is distributed widely across tropical and warm temperate seas. Fishing activity threatens whale sharks the most through direct killing, as well as capture and entanglement as bycatch along with propeller strikes. The rapid decline in whale sharks’ global population prompted the IUCN to reclassify the species as endangered in 2016.

WTI had lobbied to get the species listed in Schedule I of India’s Wildlife (Protection) Act in May 2001, thereby according it the highest level of legal protection in the country. WTI’s Whale Shark Conservation Project has been a bench mark in marine conservation since 2005. This felicitation ceremony was conducted by the project to boost community morale. Local community participation campaigns along Kerala-Lakshadweep coast are being conducted since 2017 along this coast towards sensitizing the fisherfolk on this majestic giant of the seas.

This is the third recorded whale shark rescue from Kerala. First rescue was from Malappuram during September 2018, the second rescue documented from Calicut in January 2020 and the latest, the third was reported from Trivandrum in December 2020.

All pictures by Ajith Shangumugham