The Wildlife Trust of India (WTI) successfully rescued a whale shark that had become accidentally entangled in fishing nets off the coast of Kerala on Tuesday. This marked the 1,001st rescue and release of the species since the conservation NGO launched its ‘Pan India Whale Shark Project’ in 2004, in collaboration with forest departments and fishing communities, to save these marine animals along the coasts of Gujarat and Kerala.
The latest rescue, which took place in Thiruvananthapuram’s Achutheghu, coincided with the celebration of ‘Pongal’ or ‘Makar Sankranti’ in parts of the country.
This was the 34th whale shark rescue in Kerala under the programme, which began in the state in 2017 in partnership with the Kerala Forest Department and Fisheries Department, with support from VST Industries.
“For the past seven years, this project in Kerala has thrived through unwavering community support…These achievements would not have been possible without the incredible collaboration of the fishing community, and supportive collaborators and donors,” said Saymanti B, Officer-in-Charge, Natural Heritage Campaigns, WTI. The 34th rescue under the project is a “testament to the power of successful private partnerships,” she added.
WTI’s whale shark conservation efforts started in Gujarat in 2004. The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW), Tata Chemicals, and the Gujarat Forest Department joined forces to address the alarming mass hunting of whale sharks. In 2001, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) listed the whale shark in Schedule I of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, making it the first fish to receive the highest level of protection nationwide.
