^{A skit on whale shark rescue by students of the Fisheries College, Veraval}

Gir Somnath District, Gujarat, August 31, 2017:  Wildlife Trust of India (WTI), working in concert with the Gujarat Forest Department and with the support of Tata Chemicals Ltd (TCL) and the Saurashtra fishing community, organised a celebratory event at Somnath on the occasion of International Whale Shark Day, August 30.

The event comprised a one-day training programme on whale shark conservation for coastal frontline forest staff as well as students of Fisheries College, Veraval. Frontline personnel play a critical role in the success of any conservation initiative, since it is they who are responsible for the execution at ground-level of the forest department’s directives. They also have the most direct interface with local communities and need to be able to bring about a positive change in people’s attitudes towards wildlife conservation. As such, it is imperative to have well-trained, properly informed frontline staff.

The event also brought together key stakeholders of the award-winning Gujarat Whale Shark Conservation Project. In the inaugural session Mr KA Gandhi, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Gir Somnath Forest Division spoke of the successful collaboration between WTI, the Gujarat Forest Department, TCL and the fishing communities, which had led to the conservation of whale sharks along the Saurashtra coast. WTI’s Deputy Director and Head – Development Mr Sahil Choksi spoke of the public-private partnership that underpinned the success of the project in Gujarat. Mr Satish Trivedi of Tata Chemicals Ltd also appreciated the role played by the project’s various stakeholders.

^{Mr KA Gandhi, Deputy Conservator of Forests, Gir Somnath Forest Division addresses the attendees}

A series of technical sessions were conducted to inform coastal frontline forest staff about whale sharks and train them in rescue and release procedures.

Dr AY Desai, the Dean and Principal of Fisheries College, Veraval then provided a briefing on sharks, with a special focus on whale sharks. Representatives of Veraval’s Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute and Central Institute of Fisheries Technology also shared their research work on the whale shark.

A series of technical sessions followed, aimed at training coastal frontline forest staff in whale shark rescue and release procedures. Students from the Fisheries College also performed a skit on the rescue process. WTI’s field team conducted a session on the satellite tagging and monitoring system used to track the migratory patterns of whale sharks. The Assistant Conservator of Forests Mr R Jalondra also shared his insights on wildlife tracking. At the end of the technical sessions, all participants were provided with certificates and badges.

Framed posters on the Whale Shark Conservation Project were displayed at the event venue and information dockets on whale shark conservation were provided to dignitaries and the assembled mediapersons.